180º Spins, Twists and Turns
by Iram
Summary: DISCONTINUED. Only to infinity do parallel lines belong. As the heart beats, we love.
1. Alarm Clock's fault

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY:_ I do not own Rurouni Kenshin- sigh….

**Quick little message from author: Well this is the second story I have decided to post. I'll make things up as I go along so feel free to drop a line regarding comments, suggestions and any type of criticism. This is AU, there is a giant ****WARNING for OOC which surely abounds. This will be K/K, mainly from Kaoru's point of view and, although I'm sort of blending in both of their personalities, I think her culinary skills will remain pretty much the same. Well 'nuff said, on to the reading!**

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**[ 180****º Spins, Twists and Turns ]**

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**Chapter 1: Alarm Clock's fault.**

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Groan, stretch, yawn. Fall off bed, groan some more, drool on carpet, doze off, Zzz...

Sit up bolt right, rub eyes, shriek and run. Slam straight into bathroom door, hold head, mutter unintelligibly and groan (there seem to be a lot of those in the mornings, hunh?).

Rub bruised head, pick self off floor and skid to a stop upon making contact with the bathroom sink. Brush teeth, wash face, peer in mirror, shriek at ghastly reflection staring back.

Hot, cold, hot cold. Brrr… too cold! Sizzle, sizzle… too hot! Why can't the temperature ever adjust properly so I can marinate in lukewarm waters?!! Stupid shower!

Mmm… that's the lukewarm talking… Mmm… forget I ever said anything- nice shower, never stupid, always nice and pretty shower!

Dry off- nice fuzzy towel!- rub eyes, yawn. Open closet, stare at contents of said closet, groan (apparently, I'm not so much _grumpy as I am __groan-y)._

Tick-tock, tick-tock: time flies and I am still shivering in my underwear.

Decide on pretty pink shirt with tiny white butterflies –nice butterflies!- and regular, loose fitting jeans.

Stalk barefoot into bathroom, swab on small amounts of natural-looking _goop on face, proceed to brush tangled hair._

Death-glare at knot that won't come out, pull hair up in ponytail and sigh. Undo ponytail and get ready for a retry: failure yet again; who would have thought fixing this messy haystack, also known as hair, could take so long? Especially considering that all it has to do is sit up pretty in a lousy ponytail held by a lazy ribbon- stupid uncooperative hair!

Sigh, groan, growl, sigh, groan, pull, twist, and yank, brush- Ha! Done! Who knew hair tied up in a _lousy_ ponytail could look this good?

Wink at mirror, search for boots, slide into flats instead, haul book bag over shoulder. Sprawl on floor, groan, and oomph and complain about heavier-than-hell biology textbooks. 

Prop self up, glance at wristwatch, shriek, run for stairs, cartwheel unintentionally down stairs. Land with "plop" at base of stairs, shake off possible concussion and fractured limbs, limp into kitchen holding scrapped knee with right hand. 

Grab mug of steaming coffee with left hand and chug down caffeine in a rush… Argh!!! Hot! Hot! Hot!

Spit contents out of mouth and wag limp tongue around. Drink some iced water to cool off burnt tongue, kiss parental units sitting at table goodbye, launch self at pop tart and sprint to front door.

Yell goodbyes to family, chew down breakfast, fumble with keys, open door and run for it.

Catch breath at school gate, hold aching side and glimpse reluctantly at watch: late again! _Why am I not surprised?!!_

Groan and wallop self. Drag heavy feet through courtyard and enter hostile building. Head straight for principal's office because, really, what is the point of convincing Professor Greenburg to let me into his class?

The daily routine of Kamiya Kaoru's every morning wake up call: unceremonious and seriously uneventful.

Who said inventing the _snooze_ button would be a good idea, anyway?

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Thank you for taking the time to read! More will be up soon! Please review!

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	2. Ordinary Day one of many

STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY:  Do I _have to say I don't own RK one more time???_

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**Chapter 2:Ordinary day (one of many)**

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Stifle yawn, doodle in notebook, zone out: pretty regular stuff to be doing while sitting through another boring Darwin-oriented biology class.

Somehow, the color of my shiny silvery pen seems so much more interesting to me right now than anything the teacher's humdrum voice has to say.

As I twist and turn my pen, and Professor Greenburg drones and rambles on about giraffes, monkeys and Galapagos, my mind keeps wandering back to this dream I had:

         _I was floating in the middle of a vast ocean, my naked body lulled and cleansed by the tide and the infinite and definite rhythm of the waves._

_I soaked up the foamy, salty liquid and as invaded by the strong, potent scent of the sea. Seaweed got tangled in my hair and tears filled my eyes. However, these tears did not spring from sadness; the liquid crystal that rolled down my cheeks and became one with the never-ending body of water derived from a sudden surge of joy, born within the very depths of me, and that was saying a lot because, at that particular time, I felt as profound, as mysterious, as elusive and as ancient as the sea, whose surface I so naturally graced/grazed._

_'Naturally' because I molded so perfectly against it, we both completed each other in such a way… Giving myself to the ocean like that felt all too satisfying and fulfilling. There was no fear, no hesitation, only wave after wave of rewarding contentment. Only renewal. Only me._

_Yes, that's when I smiled broadly: I had finally found me; I was finally free. Within those peaceful translucent waters, I was finally me._

Granted I've had stranger dreams; like the one with elves stored in shoebox-sized cigarette cartons, or the one with Patrick and me climbing up giant yellow and green spaghetti strings, or, how about, the one where I was involved in a war held at the local 7/11, or maybe- well, I could go on forever, but that still wouldn't explain how this dream differs from the others. 

I think that what makes this one stand out is that it wasn't that insane or… simple. Those dreams where one-legged sailors chase after me and Patrick kisses me while it literally rains cats and dogs, they don't evoke many emotions in me, except the wonder of how warped my mind is when I awaken.

This dream though, it was so emotionally complex: it was just one of those insightful, subconscious moments of clarity type 'o dream. I really don't know how to explain, how to put into words just how alive and at peace I felt.

One thing's certain though: I sure could use more of those extravagant oneiric effects my mind is willing to offer me!

**_… certain characteristics could contribute to the survival and reproduction of certain…_**

Who cares?!! Best tune this out before I ask myself for the zillionth time just why I have to sit through these yawn inspiring (awe inspiring would require, not one, but several miracles) biology lectures.

High school should be more specific: I mean, I know I'm not going to study anything involving chemical substances, mathematical equations, physics theorems or cell regenerative theories, so this whole scientific branch of my education is completely useless.

Okay, I may not know what I want to _study_, but I am 100% positive that whatever Greenburg is monotonously preaching about will have 0% to do with it.

Does the educational system of this country seriously believe that all this pointless knowledge won't instantly be erased from my mind as soon as I graduate? Politics, hypocrites, hopeless.

Lucky for me, school has its perks. Take the gorgeous blond sitting by the window, for instance: who wouldn't want to come to school everyday just for a glimpse of that 1, 78m Brad Pitt doppelganger?

"Patrick is so cute, isn't he?" Misao whispers behind me.

Guess I wasn't the only one looking; how about that?

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**_ …only the influence of its nucleus and the remaining electrons, but when two atoms approach and unite, the electrons corresponding to each atom find themselves submitted to the influence of the nucleus…_**

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GOD!!! This woman sounds as vague, ambiguous and incomprehensible as I do in the mornings!!! Scratch that- at least I can handle my mutters and groans- this, on the other hand, is too much!

Well there goes another groan, but can anyone blame me? Atom, nucleus, molecule, electron, attract, repel- can't they all just get along and reach nirvana blending into one? It would be so much easier if they were just one solid thing! Oh, wait, they are… Example: me! I'm just a bunch of atoms, molecules and protons mixed together. So, if I'm all that, then why does Mrs. Miller have to be so pesky and picky?  

Sigh. My hatred for the existence of a subject such as chemistry runs so deep that I even find myself blaming the teacher for its inclusion in the school's pensum. Yep, I'm losing it…

"It's not that bad…" Misao says in her best consoling tone.

"No, it's worse! How on earth am I supposed to graduate when I have to get a passing grade in this lousy subject?  I retort, angry that at the fact that she can take this all so calmly: our getting out of this horrible place depends on strictly passing grades and that whole toga-wearing-thingy! Of course, she's not the one miserably flunking Chem.

"We'll pass, just relax and keep breathing! Besides, the bell will ring in five and this torture session will be over. In fact, think of it that way; just one more school year and you won't have to worry about "chemical properties" ever again!"

I smiled. I had to give Misao credit: if anyone in the entire universe was positive enough to deny the apocalypse while witnessing ultimate destruction, it would have to be Misao. She would probably say that it was "just a bad day" as opposed to "the end of all days".

"Ladies, is there something you would like to share with the rest of the class?" Mrs. Miller growls, turning to… the both of us? Internal groan.

A loud, deafening buzzing sound and… saved by the bell!

Misao smirks at the teacher as the rest of the corpus alumni gather their books and scramble out of this prison. 

Te teacher evil-glares Misao and I laugh heartily; just one more year and I'll be out of this place, for good. It's always been a dream of mine, to run as far from this city as possible without so much as looking back. But, as I take a good look at Misao making faces at the unpresuming educator, I wonder…Maybe I'll miss this town, just a bit…

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_"Must get to dojo on time, must get to dojo on time…"_

I stayed after school for a while, talking with Misao, and now, if I don't hurry, I'll be late for practice. The worst part is that the dojo is at my house and the instructor is my father; no use in lying or making up excuses for my tardiness!

Okay, focus, stay calm, just tell him you have a group assignment and you stayed after class sorting through everyone's agendas, or that you stuck around after classes were over to hear an explanation on…CHEMESTRY!!! No. Been here, done this, he won't believe me anymore. Shoot!

Okay, it's all okay, no need to panic. Just take deep breaths; no need to think about the 500 extra swings he's going to have you do today.

Relax Kaoru, run as fast as you can and everything will be just- My thought has been disrupted by me suddenly… eating pavement? What happened? Why am I on the ground? My arm hurts and my books are everywhere. Great, just great!!!

Groaning and massaging my arm, I lift my upper body and try to bend my legs under me. Thank heavens I'm not wearing a skirt! With a sigh, I bob my head in frustration and then look up to find… people staring?!!

"Yes people, staring is nice, but, how about helping a girl up? Nicer, DON'T YOU THINK?!!" I spit out, shocked at just how rude and curious people can be.

Some people blush and recoil in embarrassment; others hold their noses up and scram.

Well, how impolite and completely inconsiderate of them! Mind you, I'm not one to keep things bottled up inside- honesty is one of my strong suits and, sometimes, an equally vigorous detractor:

"Hey! What is wrong with you people?!! In fact, what the hell is wrong with this society?!! If someone falls, you're supposed to help them up, not stare at them as if they were some sort of circus freak!!! If I had been having a seizure just now, would you all just have stupidly gaped in awe and wonder?!! You know, there is something seriously wrong with that…"

"Could I offer you a hand or, maybe, a soapbox instead?" asks a voice from behind me.

Grr… Inward angry growl. I crane my neck painfully to glare up at the red headed, sarcastic little prick in question.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." I reply sourly, with a cocked eyebrow to match his own.

"I apologize, it's just that I find you sitting on a sidewalk, spouting social morals at passers-by: I thought that, maybe, an improvised platform was in order." His soft voice jests at me, amusement barely contained in his tone or his amethyst eyes.

Amusement? He finds this amusing?!! I have just signed my life sentence and here's this stranger in sweats getting a kick out of my misery!!!

"Actually, more like sprawled and also, thank you for being so UNHELPFUL! You know, because someone bumped into me ( no need to tell him I was running so fast that _I _did the bumping) I'm going to be late and, consequently, because people like you found my predicament "oh so amusing" and didn't even bother to help me to my feet again, thirty minutes from now I'll be six feet under!!!  

You know what?!! If I had my bokken with me right now you'd be praying for God or some other superior being to take pity on you! I mean, you're so scrawny- which, by the way, should make you think about working out or resorting to unorthodox methods like, say, eating spinach- that I would have you down on the ground in less than one second!!!"

All of that and he still doesn't gather any of my books or aid me to my feet? What is the matter with the people of this city?!!

"Do you always have an opinion on everything?" he asks, smiling mischievously. Obviously he knows he is driving me to my limits… and enjoying every minute of it.

"Are you always this unnerving?" I lash back at him.

"I'm sorry I caught you on one of your bad days. You might prove to be very interesting, attitude problems aside…"

Inward all-out rampage session begins. Who does this guy think he is anyway?!! Where does he get off making sarcastic comments like that and looking good humored and friendly all the while?!! And why should I resort to tearing at my brain on account of a jerk I just met on the street – one who makes fun of me  and doesn't give the fact that I might like to be standing at eye-level with him any thought, at that?!!

"You know what? I'll be fine! I would probably do a better job standing up without your assistance anyway! _Seriously_, give the gym some thought! Oh, and a quick stop at the hairdresser's couldn't hurt either; your hair is _really _long…"

Wow! Could this guy's hair be longer than _mine_? Let's see: a petite, waist length red haired man with purple eyes; what a way to stand out in a crowd! No wonder he has to pick on random pedestrians: he must be the butt of everyone's jokes! Although, come to think about it, he _is kind of cute so, maybe my assumptions about him getting picked on aren't exactly accurate. Still…_

"Well, thanks for the advice but, I think I'm just about able to handle you without resorting to spinach…"

And suddenly, one minute I was on the floor and the very next, he hauls me up so fast that I land straight into his chest, almost toppling forwards, probably to land on my face were it not for his cushiony chest.

"Okay, so you are strong… Point taken."

God, I'm mumbling into his chest now! Groan. Okay, this is getting weird, even for my standards.

"You know – and this is just me talking – perhaps if you hadn't spent so much time handing out opinions like pamphlets, you could still have made it in time for your execution. Besides, you seem _relatively_ scary when you get angry; approachable is doubtful. Frankly, I was a bit reluctant to come over; who knew what you might do?"

Was this guy for real?!! 

With widened eyes I push him away, unwilling to let him have the last word. Thus, I strike:

"_Maybe, if you had been a normal person and helped instead of standing around, wasting your breath on more than necessary comments, I wouldn't have had to waste my time blurting out __clearly well-founded opinions about you, and _then_ I might have still been able to make it in time!!!"_

"Actually, I think you were doing pretty fine without me on the opinion front."

Shoot! Why is his voice so calm and relaxed all the time?!! Can't he get as exasperated as me, just once?

"FINE!!! I've had it!!! Look: thank you, you've done your good deed of the day; you may leave with no regrets! Now, excuse me while I pick my things up and have a nice life!"

Relax Kaoru, take a deep breath and think happy thoughts. Pick up your books and leave thoughts of annoying redheads behind; you have more important things to worry about, like murderous guardians, for instance.

"Here…" his soft voice washes over me as he hands me one of my notebooks.

"Thanks." I mumble, slightly grateful for the small gesture. What can I say? I forgive easily! That's one of my strong suits, not that it has ever worked to my advantage.

"You gonna be okay, to head out like that?"

"Like what?"

"You hurt you arm…"

Hunh? All of  a sudden he is being nice??? And how did he know my arm was hurt? This guy has a very good clinical eye!

"I'm okay. 'Accident prone' would be the perfect term to describe me so, I'm used to the whole 'bruising', 'falling' and 'tripping over my own feet' issue."

"Well, be careful then; make sure you get wherever it is you're going in one piece."

"I will."

A wave and he's off. And me? I'm standing there like an idiot, gazing after his retreating form, upset that I didn't catch his name; it seems that I was too busy bickering and bantering to ask. Whatever. He's just some regular-Joe walking down the street that I will never again see in my life and I- I have to run!!!

In a flash of light I'm gone, dragging the super stuffed backpack, mentally preparing myself for the doom and gloom that awaits me a soon as I step into dad's sanctuary: the dojo.

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"And now, my arms are sore!"

"Wait, go back to the part where you were in a ditch; I didn't quite get that…"

"What is there to get? Me + ditch = trouble and 600 extra swings!"

Talking to Misao on the phone can be quite cathartic, although most times it borders on frustrating. There truly is nothing like narrating your dramatic story of woe to an avid listener, who in this case happens to be my peppy and cheery best-friend, Misao Makimachi.

For those who don't know, Misao happens to be the energetic girl with blue streaks and a long braid who sits beside me in class. She's the one at the head of every school play, our drama queen _par excellence, the one with so many track medals that they weigh her down, my one living proof – her infatuation for the human shaped block of ice named Aoshi speaks for itself – that opposites attract, and last, but not least, the girl who calls me every single day right before dinner-time without failure._

"Kaoru, I have the greatest news!"

Sigh: this can't be good; this is never good. 'The greatest news' usually means horrendous torture for me.

"I'm afraid to ask…"

"There's a fraternity party at Aoshi's university and he's gonna be there!!! Beshimi convinced him and… we have to go!!! Kaoru, this is my chance!"

"Aoshi at a party? What??? Is he going to be the decorative ice sculpture beside the keg and nachos?"

"Kaoru!!! Don't speak about my wonderful Aoshi that way!"

"He isn't _your_ Aoshi, Misao."

"Which is why we have to go to the party! Don't you see? I'll walk in there and he will fall head over heels in love with me as soon as he sees just how beautiful I am!"

"So go! Who's stopping you?"

"You have to go with me!"

"I don't have to do anything Misao…" 

If there is one thing I hate, it has to be people trying to twist my arm and force me into situations I would much rather not partake on. Misao knows this… and she pays no heed to it.

"Kaoru, please, you have to!!! Moral support is important in these types of situations. Besides, the only way for us to get in is if I find Beshimi a date. Kaoru, I'm begging you!!! If you do this for me, I swear I will never bother you again! Please; I'm on my knees here!"

"Beshimi?!! Misao, are you kidding me??? Why would I ever agree to this?"

Drat! The manipulative little runt! Why does she always do this to me? And why do I always find myself agreeing to her demented schemes? Sigh. I may seem a bit tempestuous on the outside, but I'm just one big pushover.

At length:

"When's the party?"

"Yey! Thank you, thank you, than you!!! You won't regret this; I promise!"

"I always regret giving in to you Misao; not that I get any wiser for it…"

"Oh, don't be silly! I'm so excited!!! I can't wait till Saturday! We'll go over to your house and we will go through your whole wardrobe, or maybe shopping would be better…"

I can't help but smile as I hear her ramble on about clothes, make-up and Aoshi. Perhaps we aren't very much alike, but I'm glad Misao's my friend…

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Time for bed: light's off and covers wrapped tightly around me. Peace and quiet come to reign at last and my mind drifts off. 

My mom says that I never do get much rest, that my mind is always too busy crammed with both important and insignificant thoughts. She's right. Not a night goes by that I don't find myself having trouble to produce snores because I'm too focused on why leaves fall from trees, why glasses always seem to slide down people's noses or some other pointless deliberation.

I guess I'm simply a very curious person. Truth be told, the world never ceases to amaze me and, because of that, questions are bound to arise.

Tonight, as usual, I'm having a hard time drawing a blank, shutting my eyes and ears to the exterior world. This violet eyed boy I met out by the school today won't let me catch some much needed zzz's.

It's not his fault really; it's just me and my overly inquisitive brain. I wonder if we will bump into each other again… Knowing me, the "bump" part of the sentence could be literal. In fact, anything having to do with falling, bumping, slipping or crashing, is pretty much a given.

I was born a complete klutz and, apparently, it only seems to accentuate with the passing of the years. Who _just happens_ to drop into ditches? Kaoru, that's who! And I do it with the familiarity and ease with which one drops by a friend's house.

Getting home covered in muck from head to toe is not shocking at all for me; it's all in a day's work. Accidents will happen, I will always be involved: story of my life…

Mud, dirt, scrapes, bruises, cuts and grime – just an ordinary day for this extra ordinary (as in overly common) girl.

_Reviewer Responses:_

**         To Naomi: Thank you for the miles of smiles Naomi, they really helped! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!**

**To A.R Frederik: **Well, it pleases me immensely that you have decided to check out this story too!!! Well, AU stories can get kind of weird and distorted so, you have a point, and I will totally understand if you don't keep on reading this because it's just not what your dish. Still, thanks for at least giving it a go. As far as surprising goes… I'm making this up as I go along so, who knows? Maybe I'll surprise the both of us during the process and, hopefully, it will be pleasant.

**To Orora:** Well, first chapters can't always be that entertaining. Also, I feel I have to build this ting up, not just rush into the main events; otherwise the experience will end too soon and I won't feel that happy. Actually, I am really overjoyed to see that you took the time to read this story as well and I can only hope that you will stick around for the rest of it. Tell me what you think, your comments are always more than welcome!  


	3. Sun is Shining, the Weather is Sweet

_DISCLAIMER: _RK belongs to some other fortunate soul that is, most definitely, not me. No members of the cast belong to me; neither do any Bob Marley songs.

**Quick Little Message from Author: **Well, I would love to hear any suggestions or comments any of you may have regarding this fanfic. I am taking this someplace, all of these occurrences happen for a reason and I do think there is a plot in here, somewhere… Do review because, I appreciate the feedback and I like to know if someone is actually interested in the story. Enough said, on to chapter 3: be entertained! 

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**Chapter 3: Sun is **

**Shining, the Weather is Sweet.**

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My feet sank into the sand. Daybreak at the beach was a luxury few could actually allow themselves to have. A stressful, active and tiring daily life demanded a minimum eight hour sleep ritual, hence waking up before sunrise was out of the question.

Ordinarily, sleeping in is one of my lazy and guilty pleasures, but every once in a blue moon I'm all for enjoying the sumptuous vibrancy of colors carelessly littering the sky on the promise of a dawning day.

Since I happen to live a few blocks away from sun, sea and sand, on those very rare occasions when I feel the urgency of bearing witness to a miracle such as a new day's birth, I drag my feet off to the beach and glue my eyes on the horizon. Then, I wait.

I wait for the warmth. I wait for the light. I wait for that one moment that will take my breath away.

There's something about the sea that beckons me. I can't quite place my finger on it but, when a ray of light pierces through the surface, when the waves gain glimmers and sparkle, that's when I realize I have to start breathing again or I'll surely faint, that my breath was taken away by this immense beauty and that, somehow, I have it in me to take it back.

The ocean is so strong and powerful that it can leave me breathless, but I'm so strong and powerful I can will oxygen through my nostrils and into my lungs one more time.

Empowerment, mesmerizing beauty and golden showers of light, all in a matter of minutes… It's a true privilege to live so close by to the beach.

As the foamy water tickles my feet I turn my gaze upwards and gasp: orange shantung and electric blue clash, swirl and unite. If ever I leave this place, this is the exact spot, the precise moment I will always come back to in my dreams.

The sun is shining, the weather is sweet and I had better be on my way to school or else I'll get suspension… again. After class, though, I think I'll come back here, lie down on the white sand and just be.

It is amazing how a miracle happens every single day and how so few of us actually take notice of it: the sun always rises.

I should remember that. I should remember every sunrise…

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"Did you know that blue is the color of the oxygen that surrounds Mother Earth and Father Sky, set there to remind us that we belong both to the material and spiritual world?"

"Misao, are you Wiccan again?"

"No Kaoru, and I never have been- although, some of its philosophies are pretty interesting…"

"You're just saying that because you always wanted an excuse to buy a cauldron…"

"Kaoru! You know, being a wiccan is much more than spells and cauldrons!"

"Which is precisely what disappointed you about said religion; you just wanted to be the next "Charmed One" and, boy, did that backfire on you!"

"You know: maybe if you had been a tad more supportive of me, it might have stuck!"

At that I had to roll my eyes and laugh. Misao loved fun and games, but the more serious aspects of anything– relationships included– had her doing a one-minute mile. Technically, it's not a bad posture regarding life: we are young; why not enjoy things instead of sitting down and overanalyzing everything? 

However, this position always made Misao somewhat irresponsible and flakey. I can handle that though; she comes through when you need her, every single time, and that's what counts.

"So, if this has nothing to do with a pentagram, then where did you come up with the _Mother _and _Father _references?"

"Well, if you must know, I'm taking a few aromatherapy classes and, right now, I'm starting to learn the basics on colors and scents. It truly is a fascinating approach to- oh, I don't know- _everything!"_

"I take it you're enjoying these lessons?"

"Very much! In fact, they have been quite helpful: now I know exactly what I'm going to wear and which perfume I'm going to use to make Aoshi's head spin at the party tomorrow night!"

Groan. I had totally forgotten about the stupid party Saturday night! Being Beshimi's date didn't sound very comforting at the moment. Maybe I should juts up and cancel… and incur the wrath of Misao? Groan.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and if I did anything to jeopardize Misao's plans regarding Aoshi she would be, beyond scorned, downright pissed and murderous. What was a poor girl to do?    

Luckily, fate decided to throw a bone at this desperate puppy:

"Hey Kaoru!" said Patrick, setting his lunch tray on our table.

By this point I was tongue-tied and six different shades of red.

"Hey Pat-Rick!"

Groan. Since when did I have a problem with putting two syllables together?

"I heard you girls are going to that frat party tomorrow night…"

"Yep, we sure are!" said Misao in a perky voice.

Than God for Misao! As long as she's next to me, she won't let me fall for my own idiocy. Why is it that, whenever Patrick Lunn is around, my I.Q. crashes to below zero? Why does he get to me so much? After all, he's just any other guy- a very cute, dreamy, sexy 'any other guy' at that… Groan.

"I'm glad! I'm going too: I've got a friend who goes there, so me and the guys are gonna be able to get in."

"Cool! We know a guy too, so…"

"Yeah? Cool!"

Okay, why is this sad excuse for a conversation with my 'eternal crush' Patrick Lunn taking place only between him and my best friend? Why can't I, for the life of me, put a word in? Why are my lips sealed together? What did I do in a past life to deserve this horrible karmic payback? The guy isn't even that smart so, why do I even care? 

Oh, look at those perfect white teeth! And what about those beautiful blue eyes? Oh, and that tousled hair!!! Fine, I get the drift: he's too gorgeous for me to remain unaffected by his presence. Groan.

"Well then, I guess I'll catch you girls there! Bye Kaoru!"

Did he just say goodbye to me? Did he just flash his perfect Pepsodent® smile my way?!! Aaawww….

"Kaoru? Kaoru!!! Snap out of it!!!"

"Hunh? Oh, sorry Misao, I was just…"

"Daydreaming about Lunn and his toned muscles? Figures: you space out on me every time he so much as smiles at you."

"Can you blame me?"

"Not really, although Aoshi is way cuter!"

Stars landed in Misao's misty eyes as she flew off to La-la-land with thoughts of the giant brick of ice taking over her.

"Misao… you need to get your eyes checked!"

Before she managed to beat me into a bloody pulp due to my negative remark concerning _her Aoshi, the bell rang and lunch break was over. Sometimes loud buzzing can be a life saver…_

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

**_In Dexter's laboratory, lives the smartest boy you've ever seen, but _****_Dee_…**

**_An essential trait of these regions is the abundance of nutrients found in the sea, whereas_...**

…**_was not discovered by occidental science until 1869. The giant panda…_**

…**_professional warriors, the samurai, in a structure similar to that of the European feudal system._**_ Despite fights between…_****

Sometimes, television programming can be seriously discouraging and frustrating. Zapping is known to be one of the world's most favored workouts. Between channel surfing and the Playstation®, man's fingers are sure to become the most exercised and strongest parts of the human anatomy, if they aren't already…

When opposable thumbs, and index fingers alike, are cramped and have reached their breaking point, with much reluctance and not enough choice, man finally presses the 'power' button and the once vibrant screen turns pitch black

Oh well, the day is beautiful, the sky is so blue and bright that… why not head off to the beach?

"Oi Kenshin, let's go to the beach!"

"Sano, don't you ever knock?" the young man sitting cross-legged on the bed voiced out as the well built Sagara Sanosuke slammed his room's door open and absently strolled in.

"If I did that, you would never let me in!"

"I guess you're right Sano" Kenshin acquiesced with a weak smile.

"So, what do you say? We could catch some waves, soak up some sun…"

"As much as I would like to Sano, I can't; I'm swamped!" he said, pointing at the piles and piles of books and papers messily strewn atop the bed.

"You work too hard! Come on, take some time off and remember what it's like to be alive for a change!"

"Sorry Sano." the redhead answered, smiling apologetically.

"Suit yourself. Well, I'm off; if the kitsune calls tell her I'm picking her up tonight at eight."

"Sure."

Sanosuke stomped out of the room, then froze, something important coming back to him:

"Kenshin listen, there's this frat party tomorrow night…"

"No Sano. You are not dragging me along to one of your little escapades again! Last time Megumi found out and, need I remind you-"

"Leave Megumi out of this and don't be so uptight! You might actually enjoy yourself, you know! Just stop stressing and give it a chance: living is not as bad as you make it look. Kenshin"

"Sano, just because I actually study doesn't mean that I don't live. The thing is that I have a huge test coming up and-"

"The thing is that you and Tomoe are history! You can't keep on lamenting yourself and being miserable; she got over you, didn't she? Well, there's plenty 'o fish in the sea my friend, but you won't know unless you swim from time to time!"

"You won't leave me alone unless I agree to follow you to my doom tomorrow night, won't you Sano?"

"Nope!" 

Kenshin sighed: what choice did he have? If he didn't go, Sanosuke would never let him live it down. Also, the man kind of had a point; Kenshin was prone to brooding and pining. Since the break-up this natural condition of his had worsened. He had been studying all afternoon now, and would continue to do so till the wee hours of the morning. Maybe he could just relax a bit on Saturday, make it his official day off away from asphyxiating text books, and pick up right where he left off on Sunday.

Needless to say he knew he would regret this; doing the opposite of anything Sano said was the rational way to go about things. Kenshin sighed.

"Fine, I'll go. _Now can I study?"_

"Sure thing buddy! Oh and, don't worry, you won't regret this!" Sano announced, sprinting off to the front door.

Now that was laughable! Kenshin not regret following Sano's advice? That was like saying cats don't chase mice. SO, why was he doing this again? Oh, right, for the sake of sanity. Sano could really be annoying when he wanted to and, being his roommate, the last thing Kenshin needed right now was another disruption…

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

Ah… nothing like me, the beach and Bob Marley, The Clash and Etta James, in the weirdest compilation CD of all time; don't you just love internet download engines? 

So, there I was, enjoying myself in my own little world when some girl walks by and asks me why I am not in a bathing suit. Why dignify that with a response?

In a way, her question made sense but, it's a free country, had I been wearing a turtleneck, it would still have been my business and only my business. Some people are just horribly meddlesome.

As far as the clothes go, they may not have been a two-piece swimsuit, but they weren't that odd for beach attire: a thin indigo colored sweatshirt bustier with sakura petals down the front, faded denim hot pants and a pair of very worn white sandals. What was so suspicious or conspicuous about that? Apparently something, since the entire beach population kept staring.

Oops… Sometimes I get a bit ahead of my game and wade into the murky waters of paranoia: if you are as white as a sheet of paper or a cloud fleeting by in the cerulean sky, people with healthy tangerine tans are bound to stare. I forgot that I only generally find myself looking for seashells right around sunset; tanning can get a little complicated if factors such as that are taken into account.

Finally aware of the cause to people's wandering eyes and fed up by it all the same, I stood up and decided to walk back home. So much for the sun is shining, the weather is sweet, Bob…

Of course, with my luck, that decision could not go by without turning itself into a full fledged event. Why people who take pleasure in sunbathing at clean beaches leave their trash behind is beyond me, but, not entirely out of the norm, of all the persons hiking through the mounds of coral sand, it took only me ( my foot to be more precise), to make contact with that stupid bottle.

Tripping over the dejected beer bottle was the least of my problems though; my mind was by far too concerned with the airborne disc-man to concentrate on the loud thud my body would be making in a few seconds.

_*THUD*_

Great! Sand was in my mouth and my disc-man had suffered irreparable damage. My poor baby had survived too many dangerous water spills and uproarious falls for this not to be the final, fatal blow. Whimpering and cursing my bad luck, I got to my knees and an unknown hand pulled me up.

"This yours?" the baritone asked, shoving, my precious, unscathed disc-man into my field of vision.

"You saved it!!!" I squealed in delight, launching myself and clinging onto the stranger's neck like a leech. That's just how thankful I was that my small, delicate music life savior was, well, safe!

"It was nuttin' really." he said, running a rough hand through his brown spiky hair ½ sheepishly, ½ arrogantly.

"How ever can I repay you?" I asked, too caught up in the moment, in the reencounter with my beloved musical companion, to think clearly on what it was exactly that I was offering.

"Buy me lunch and I'll call us even!"

When I heard his thick, warm voice pronounce those words I scrunched up my face in confusion: wasn't he supposed to be a gentleman, some sort of knight in shining armor that recovered my most valued possession, then gallantly speak words like 'don't worry about it' or 'don't mention it' and leave it at that???

Nowadays, no good deed comes for free. That is a lesson I learnt upon meeting the infamous, rebellious, loyal, slightly conceited, Sagara Sanosuke; at least not where his stomach is concerned. That man will trade anything for food. I swear, his unquenchable appetite has more control over him than his own mind! Unsurprisingly, I came into touch with this basic fact of life upon our very first encounter:

"Freeloader!" was the first word to fly out of my mouth. How dare he take advantage of the situation and transform his heroic act into a means for a free meal?!!

"Fair trade?" he mouthed faking innocence.

"I could have caught the flying apparatus myself you know!"

"Not in a million years missy!" he ardently defended his meal ticket.

"You actually expect me to treat you to lunch?!!"

"It's only fair. After all, I saved your 'disc-man turned Frisbee' and you offered!"

"I did not offer to buy you lunch!!!"

"You asked me if there was any way you could repay me; I made a suggestion."

"Fine!"

By then, I was fuming and very angry at myself for being so dumb as to actually dig my own grave. The most irritating part of the whole ordeal was that, in a twisted, parallel universe sort of way, he was right, I had offered to repay him for his _kind deed as he saw fit. Darn manners and darn pride! Yep: I dig up my own grave; I __have to lie in it. Freeloading bastard…_

"Fine, but I get to pick where we eat!"

"Fair enough." He added, a boyish grin lightning up his rugged features.

"You know, we are going to have to go over your concept of 'fair'."

"You wouldn't be the first person to tell me that."

"I wonder why…"

"So do I." he dared utter, flashing me another one of his falsely naïve smiles.

"Okay Mr. Smarty Pants, may I know the name of the absolute stranger whose lunch I am about to pay for?" I grumbled.

"Sagara, Sanosuke Sagara, at your service."

"Only if you get something in return…"

"It all depends on the cause missy."

"So you actually do stuff for free?"

"Well… it has to be a really good cause."

"I'll bet."

Conclusion: I should take my bokken with me, wherever I go; it would save me a lot of trouble, a lot of money too.

As we withdrew ourselves from the crowded oceanfront, the sun shone overhead and we continued to bicker ways ahead, unknowingly beginning to form a brilliant friendship under the clemency of the weather and blazing sunbeams.

#       #       #

_Reviewer Responses:_

**To Luna Angel: **Thank you for the encouragement: I plan to keep going.

**To Ocean Fish: **Hi!!! I'm so happy that you decided to check out the second story!!! As for your assumptions, as this chapter confirms, our beloved rurouni will be at the party only, it's not what you think… I think… unless maybe you aren't thinking what I am thinking you are thinking at all and then my own assumptions are wrong… I should stop that. Anyway, you will find out soon enough!!! And again, thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to read through this story as well! ^_^

**To ****Tara****: Thanks so much for the encouraging words; they were just what a girl needs to keep going! There is a plot, in here, somewhere… or, at least, me thinks there is one. Anyway, I'm glad you are digging the humor because, frankly, I always get REALLY angsty as soon as I start writing and, I needed a change of pace. There will be more humor, drama, romance, angst- it's gonna be quite the potent little cocktail, at least that's what I'm aiming for. Stick around for the next chappies, okay?**

That's it people: chapter 3 is over and done with! Now, to write chapter 4… Stay tuned!!!


	4. Comatose, the party Awakens

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: _No, Rk is not my creation or possession. No, any songs that I might make reference to down here are not mine. No, I do not enjoy writing disclaimers. No, I do not disagree with the fact that, owning almost nothing, is sad…

**Quick little message from author: Well, I guess I should start off with the apology: I AM SO SORRY!!! Writer's block is really rude and unnerving and, sure enough, the most unwanted and unwelcome guest of all time. This was going to be all jam-packed into one chapter, but, since it cam out sooo long, I decided to split this into two parts. Thus, I leave you all with Chapter four, the first part of "Drinking through the right of partying." Since, the second part has already been written, expect an update really soon, as a small token of my gratitude for your feedback and another way of wording the "I'm sorry" catchphrase amongst us fanfiction writers. Okay, rambling complete: proceed with reading! **

****

**Chapter 4: Comatose, the party Awakens.**

**(Drinking through the right of Partying – Part I). **

****

****

"Curlers? Misao, don't you think you're going a little bit overboard with this?"

"Nothing is too much tonight Kaoru!"

"As you wish, but _I _am not going to use that curling iron Misao! I don't need ringlets; my hair is just fine the way it is!"

"Whatever you say…"

"Misao, get that thing away from me!"

"Oh, lighten up, will ya?!! You want to look good for Patrick, don't you? Then let me do my magic!"

"Misao, step away from my hair! I'm warning you, stand back or I'll-"

"Or you'll what? Empty threats Kaoru; your hair is getting all curled up and that's final!"

"I swear, if you don't leave my hair alone, I'll Kamiya Kassin Ryu your ass!"

"Who are you supposed to scare with that? Need I remind you that I can hold my own just fine? Tae-bo and Jiu-jitsu are part of my work-out résumé!"

"Grin proudly little girl but, unless you know Krav Magá, I consider myself safe and able to take you on any day!"

And that's the way our entire afternoon had been: Misao kept making the wrong suggestions and I was running short on death threats. Seriously though; the girl had wanted me to wear a dress! I can handle skirts, but only if they are truly necessary or I'm feeling excessively feminine that day. College students aren't particularly well known for their flair and glamorous sense of style. Certainly some of them would dress up, but not in an all-out New Year's sort of way; Misao was just taking this too far. Oh well, anything for _her _Aoshi…

"I give up! Nothing that you have here is wearable! Remind me why we didn't go shopping again?"

Apparently, ransacking my closet had proved unsuccessful. Apparently, Misao thought we were going to a ball, a formal or, option C, meeting the Queen of England: under those circumstances, my entire wardrobe was useless and plain unacceptable.

"_I give up; you're insane! Misao, would you take it easy and focus? It's a 'frat-party': beer shall fill in for the non-existence of wine, nachos will be more than worthy substitutes for caviar, and people will be trendy but comfortable, not stiff and in agony, sweating and dying their way through wearing a _gorgeous_ corset and lavish designer gowns!"_

"Kaoru, Aoshi is going to be there!!!"

"Fine: I quit! I can't help you! You just won't hear me! I bet that while I speak and pointlessly waste my breath, all you hear is _Aoshi__, Aoshi, Aoshi!"_

"You don't understand me Kaoru! Maybe one day, when you fall in love, all of this will make sense to you."

"I highly doubt it, but suit yourself! Wear the stilettos! However, when your feet are killing you, go lean on 'Mr. I ate sour grapes', not me!"

"Kaoru, would you stop referring to Aoshi in that way and help me zip up?"

"Okay, I'm sure I can come up with other creative ways of mocking him. As far as zipping you up goes… do it yourself! I refuse to go along with your lunatic ways! I am already far more involved in your crafty madness than I care to be."

"Fine: I'll just change into _another_ drool-worthy dress that doesn't have a zipper!!!"

Huffing and puffing, Misao blew a pile of clothes down. Groaning and wailing, I reminded myself that her mess was mine to clean up: no more disagreeing with her choice on clothes!

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

"Ouch! Ouch! Sano, that hurts!"

Getting pulled by one's hair in a cave-man, primitive, un-evolved fashion was none too pleasant an experience. Said experience, poor Kenshin Himura was all too familiar with.

"You said you would go!"

"But I have to study!"

"Stop whining and get dressed!"

"Sanosuke, I am a grown man and I can make my own decisions. I appreciate your concern, but I refuse to be bullied into-"

"The hell you can! Now, hurry up and get dressed! You are the roommate from hell, did you know that?"

"Sano, I wash the dishes, do all the laundry, cook, clean the apartment; I don't mean to come across as presumptuous, but I don't think I'm _that bad a roommate…"_

"Stop changing the subject and get your ass into a decent pair of pants! Tonight we are going to have fun and nothing you do or say is going to ruin our mission!"

Ever since the "Tomoe incident" this was the way of life at Sanosuke Sagara and Kenshin Himura's off-campus apartment. It was clear that Kenshin had been utterly devoted to and in love with the dark-eyed, serious young-woman: the broken and devastated state she had left him in spoke volumes. 

Kenshin hadn't taken Tomoe's decision to move to another country very well, to say the least. He had the whole pining and moping for her deal down to an art.

Sano, being the loyal friend that he was, couldn't take much more of the dark atmosphere of impending gloom that surrounded his roommate's every shallow breath and had gone out of his way to try and cheer him up; not that it had helped any.

Still, Sano was determined and undeterred: any party, festivity or mere gathering planned was sure to make him drag Kenshin along by that messy ponytail of his.

The fact was that Sanosuke could not bring himself to understand why Kenshin was spiraling so deep into depression, why he constantly blamed himself for his ex-girlfriend's departure. 

In truth, she had not actually sought distance and their relationship had not suffered overwhelming deterioration; Tomoe, being an art history major, had been offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to enroll in one of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in Milan and, being no fool, she took the chance. 

Hence, no one was really at fault regarding the abrupt break-up: opportunity beckoned and she seized her dream; no one could blame her for that more than human action. As it was, Kenshin could never truly blame anyone for anything anyway; fault always had to be burdened onto his overly guilty shoulders: that was one hell of an inferiority complex!

In this 'slumped shoulders, watery smiles' sorry state, the months passed, and Sano's attempts at merrymaking proved to be, beyond futile, hopeless. The one who claimed to never give up, even when all odds were against him, was wholly acceptant of his defeat and willing to fold his cards in silent retreat. 

Then, at the beginning of this very week, something amazing had happened: on a sunny Monday afternoon, the guilt-ridden, broken hearted boy previously in question had re-entered the apartment in high spirits. He had talked with Sano and, through the brief intermission in his regular 'reasons to mope and whine' schedule, he had somewhat resembled his old self again. 

Now, Sanosuke did not know what had suddenly brought this pleasant change of attitude on but, even as Kenshin went back to his routinely sulking and over-studying sessions, he regained his confidence and grew certain that everything was not lost.

Therefore, the missions were back on, as well as his perfectly arrogant grin; if only Kenshin could be slightly more cooperative…

"Sano, would you please stop messing up my room?"

"Don't you have anything decent to wear?"

"…"

"Where the hell do you shop?!"

"Where did you pick up a fashion sense?!!"

"Sarcastic remarks? That's the spirit Kenshin! Soon you'll be up and ready for beer, chips and lovely young ladies!"

"If Megumi hears any of that…"

"You can tell her if you want; you would be sending me to an early grave, or possibly, to be neutered, but she would still make _you go to the party."_

"So, technically, you have permission to go to the party IF I tag along?" Kenshin had always been good at reading in between the lines of Sano's brashness.

"Permission?!! Like if the kitsune could stop me if I wanted to go alone!" Sanosuke exclaimed with a loud snort.

"Really? I thought she had you on a very tight leash…"

"WHY, YOU LITTLE…"

In spite of running around the room, about ready to snap his neck for his insolence, Sano had to smile: slowly, but surely, his friend was coming back to him and, no matter that he had no idea as to what exactly this ray of light piercing the storm was, the point was that he was eternally grateful.

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

Misao patted a golden hued eye shadow onto her lids, and then swiped some black mascara on her eyelashes. Staring at herself in the mirror, she rumpled her curled up tresses for that small and delicate final touch that kicked her whole look into perfection.

With metallic gold lipstick dabbed on, and in a burgundy one shouldered, knee-length, silk dress, she had to hand it to herself: when it came to playing dress-up, she was a genius. 

Soon enough, one Aoshi Shinomori would be tightly wrapped around her finger. Indeed, tonight was the night for no hesitation and all-out action.

Misao flashed one last smile at her icy reflection before letting her eyes fall upon a curled up bundle on the large four-poster bed:

"Kaoru, cheer up! It's not the end of the world! Look: you got your way and everything! I don't see a skirt on you, now, do I?"

It was true: Kaoru's protest had been so loud and, well, downright scary, that Misao had both given up on making her dear friend show some skin and sporting locks.

Thus, Kaoru mock-sobbed in black tuxedo pants with a satin strip down the sides and a delicate, teal colored, ruffle cap-sleeved shirt.

Her eyelids sparkled as a result of the soft silver shadow that brought out her midnight blue eyes, her lips shimmered due to the sheer gloss that Misao had forcefully slicked on, her cheeks irradiated a healthy, embarrassed, dewy glow and her entire body glistened mildly, courtesy of a silvery body glitter, shimmer gel.

"Listen; I know the child in you wants to wear this ribbon tonight, but tonight is not about noisy little brats! So you might as well leave your inner child's butt parked here, and let the seductive temptress of a woman I know you have in there somewhere take over!"

"Isn't it enough that I have to be Beshimi's escort for the evening? I know I look better like this but; couldn't we have pulled my hair into a plain bun or something? It's so long, it's actually getting in the way, and since I'm not trying to impress anyone…"

"You are such a prude! All afternoon you have been complaining and whining and arguing: I'm not dragging you to a slow, painful death; I'm taking you someplace where, God forbid, you might, for once in your life, have some fun!

Also, do you want Patrick Lunn to see you for the ribbon wearing, ascetic little girl that you are, or the sexy woman he fantasizes you to be?"

"The day Patrick Lunn fantasizes about me…"

"He is completely smitten and you are utterly blind! Anyway, I don't have time for this so, snatch your purse and let's get going already!!!"

"You will pay dearly for this Misao! I am actually going to have to flirt with that frog-eyed midget, whose breath…"

"… smells like tuna, moldy cheese and any other quip you can think up- yeah, yeah, I know the drill! Now: out!!!" Misao blared, rolling her eyes and pushing Kaoru out the door. She didn't have time for this; her Aoshi was waiting!

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

"…and then, Aoshi –get this- just stared him down!"

Kaoru blinked back a yawn. This was the tenth story Beshimi told in the space of approximately thirty minutes that revolved around a heroic Aoshi being his stoic old self… How did this guy get into college? Pulling strings, most likely.

"Oh, did I tell you about the time where me and Aoshi, we was walking into the cafeteria and…"

Definitely pulling strings. Just how many things where wrong with the structure of that sentence? Enough to prove that this literally wide-eyed youth couldn't possibly aspire to the English Major he intended without 'a little help from his friends.'

"So, this idiot keeps poking his nose where it doesn't belong and we keep avoiding the idiot because, obviously, me and Aoshi don't get ourselves into no idiot fights with dumb idiots like him. When we couldn't take it anymore, me and Aoshi…"

Make that a LOT of friends and help. Speaking of friends supposed to help one out of tough spots, as states the job description, where in the seven hells was Misao?

Strutting her stuff in high heels and a little red number, Misao had flittered off as soon as she had caught sight of the object of her obsession, abandoning her reluctant partner in crime on a couch with the date from hell, at least in Kaoru's opinion, and what she hoped would be any sane girl's.

"So we reunited the whole gang-"

"Beshimi, have you seen our _wonderful friend Misao? Kaoru asked through gritted teeth, stressing on the word 'wonderful' for emphasis in both sarcasm and acoustics._

"I'm not sure… Wait, isn't that her over there?" he suggested, pointing at a particularly poignant scene that would, sadly, forever remain engraved in her mind's eye.

"No Beshimi! Misao is not the girl giving that guy a lap-dance!  Sure, they do bear a striking resemblance and are both wearing the same- OH MY GOD!!! Her dress just rode up her thigh and that guy, whom by the way is not your own personal deity Beshimi, is groping her!!!"

Shocked into action by her own mind's reckoning and assessment of the situation, Kaoru bounced out of her seat and made her way through pandemonium (a.k.a the smoky, boozed up crowd) towards the starkly new version of her lifelong friend.  

"Hey… umh…_dude_… would you mind if I borrow her for a second?"

"Oh, Kaoru! I believe that you haven't met Mick…"

"If Mick's the boy you are currently straddling, then no Misao, I believe we haven't been introduced. Now, _dude_, would you mind? We _chicas_ have to go… powder our noses, or something. Don't worry; I'll bring her back."

"You know, if you happened to come back with her too, we could work something out." Mick, the pervert apparently, finally spoke up.

"_Okaaay_… I'm sure that would happen…" Kaoru said, pulling Misao away from the perv-man, all the while shivering slightly at the though of his highly indecent proposal.

"So we're cool then?!! Sweet!!!"

Obviously the lecher needed to get a tighter grip on reality if he thought all of his lewd fantasies were about to come true in the shape of two regular high-school seniors.

With a strong hold on Misao's wrist, Kaoru led the way to a secluded corner of the room, intent on knocking some sense into the clearly delirious girl's head.

Meanwhile, Misao, bewildered and downright confused, struggled against her friend's antics, wondering just what was wrong and why Kaoru thought she had a right to interrupt a well thought-out plan. Unable to pry herself from Kaoru's death grip, she decided to say as much:

"What the hell is going on?!!"

"I should be the one asking you that very question Miss 'I got in touch with my inner stripper'!"

"Don't get your bloomers in a knot _Sister_ _Kaoru; as far as I can see, I'm still wearing clothes!"_

"The question is 'for how long'? And don't you dare patronize me! Just what the hell were you thinking rubbing yourself all over that guy?!! First off, he's not Aoshi and, second, I don't see you latching onto the human iceberg every time you guys meet: excuse me for not being able to keep up!"

"Geez Kaoru, you are so high strung! Would you relax?!! I'm flattered by you concern for my loyalty to Aoshi, but you should know better than to doubt me, not where the man I love is concerned."

"Okay, I won't doubt your faithfulness to a guy who won't even give you the time of day, especially not after I find you up here in booze-fest in an awfully compromising position with that degenerate, good-for-nothing, hormone-driven _dude over there!"_

"You are so judgmental! For your information, Nick happens to be a very nice guy and he just so happens to fit perfectly into my plans to win Aoshi's heart!"

"Now that you mention it, he _does_ sound nice… in a touchy-feely sort of way!!!"

"You have a point: Dick is a very emotional and sensitive boy for his age."

"Misao: explain! All I know is that I was running to the rescue, as always, only to find that, this time, helping you out is not okay! So, once more, with feeling: EXPLAIN!!!"

"First: take a deep breath, calm down and stop being so volatile and negative. Next: you have to focus on the big picture. See Aoshi standing over there with Hannya? Notice how he gets a clear, unobstructed view of my innocent flirtations with Rick: it's the gimmick of all gimmicks and, I assure you, the green-eyed monster will not take long on making it's appearance, hopefully spouting a love poem or two while it's at it.!"

"Pretty ambitious considering that making the man blink could be considered a remarkable feat in itself. Misao, please, why can't you stick to your usual routine of hanging onto his arm like a sick puppy? Ask him for a ride home! Being neighbors, it wouldn't seem that unusual a request and you would get to spend one-on-one time with him! 

Come on Misao; you can't even remember the name of a guy whose lap you were just on- a horny guy, all too anxious to cop a feel at that! You have to be careful; otherwise you might end up in serious trouble. Just this once, think before you act!"

"Kaoru, I am very grateful that you care so much but, what's the worse that could happen?"

"Misao, they hand out pamphlets at the school and on the subway about the worst that could and, in fact, does happen!!!"

"Look, I won't get into trouble: you have my word!" Misao said walking away, deeming the conversation over.

"Wait, where are you going?!!"

"Opportunity knocks, but it won't wait around forever, will it?"

"Misao get back here!!!"

"Don't ditch Beshimi! He's not as bad as you think; he can actually be pretty nice, if you give him a chance…"

Kaoru could not believe this: after all her warnings and reprimands Misao was still walking away, straight into a sticky situation? What was wrong with that girl?!!

"If you walk away, I won't help you once you are knee-deep in-"

"I get the picture! Now, go have fun and stop being, well, so….you. Bye!"

A vein popped dangerously on Kaoru's forehead: Misao would have to deal on her own. She would not lift a finger once the scheming, conniving little weasel's plans backfired, as they always did. After all, if she was such a big girl, if she felt superior enough on a maturity scale to mock and patronize then, may the crashing and burning begin and, by all means, may she step up and handle it all by herself!

Walking coolly back to the couch and to frog-face's company, Kaoru bumped against someone:

"Oh sorry!" she exclaimed automatically.

"Kaoru?" a familiar male voice wondered aloud.

Looking up, she found herself blushing: Patrick Lunn's blue eyes were taking her in.

"You- you came!" she stuttered shyly, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, so did you!" he said in something akin to disbelief.

"Patrick, honey, get me a drink will you?" spoke up a third, blatantly female, voice.

"Andrea, in a minute, I just bumped into-"

"Who are you?" the Giselle Bündchen look-alike attached to Patrick's arm inquired, rudely interrupting him in the process.

"I'm… Kaoru."

"Oh. That doesn't tell me much. Patrick, let's go: Laura and Keith are waving us over!"

"O-okay. See you around Kaoru!" the fair-haired boy said, following after the super-model type that gave him a fleeting kiss before meeting up with a cheery crowd of people.

Kaoru's heart sank. Those two looked great together; in an aesthetic level, a match made in heaven.

Dragging her feet and feeling miserable, she rejoined the couch, Beshimi and the Doritos she had been munching on prior to the 'Misao-gone-wild' ordeal.

As her date yapped on, Kaoru surveyed the couple smooching by the pool table: how gorgeous their kids would be, if ever they happed to have any.

Out of the corner of her eye, she made out Misao laughing like a hyena at perv-man's joke, a glassful of beer swaying in her hand. Turning to her right, she examined Beshimi: shorter than herself and dressed like a fashion-victim pimp, he stole glances of his pal Aoshi all the time while clumsily trying to wade his way through a soliloquy: what was her role in all of this?

Realization struck full force: she was meant to be the kind, sensible girl that held her best friend's hair back while she puked her guts out in the nearest bathroom, a shoulder to cry on when it all ended in tears. 

She was meant to be sympathetic and affable, grinning sweetly as fish breath revisited his boring repertoire of Aoshi-centered stories.

She was meant to topple into and gaze blankly at Patrick while he sucked face with the blonde ditz that impolitely dissed her, putting herself last and his happiness first.

Screw this! Let someone else be sensible and responsible; why was she never meant to have any of the fun? To hell with judiciousness and reason: you have to fight for your right to party! 

And fight, ladies and gentlemen, Kamiya Kaoru would….

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_Reviewer Responses:_

**To StarPrincess Sakura: **Let's see… Kaoru cynical? Kind of, yes. Imagine a person as warmhearted as the original Kaoru from the series and now imagine having a modern society like ours mold and shape her: she is bound to be a tad more cynical. Don't worry though, even if she has a slightly "tough" attitude, in future chapters we will all come to see that she is still quite naïve. Kenshin appears in this chapter, but his participation in chapter 5 will be longer and definitely more significant, so stay tuned. Oh, thank you veeeeeeery much for leaving a review! That makes me veeeeeeery happy!

**To Ocean Fish: **I saw that you left a review for me and, without even reading it, I already had a smile on my face. Yes, Kenshin is most definitely in college. Yes, I noticed you had your first fic up, I checked it out, I dropped a line or two and I did like it; now I'm just waiting for an update ^_~ Thank you lots and lots for the review and I hope you are still keen on reading this fic.

**To Wishstar:** Thanks, I'm glad you like the way I write. I am terribly sorry that I made you wait so long for an update. If it's any consolation, the next chapter will be up and ready much sooner than this one.

**To A.R. Frederik: **What can I say… *sigh* Your reviews always make me warm and fuzzy inside! "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" is actually one of my favorite songs!!! As for the dream sequence, I'm glad you liked it; it is actually going to be a pretty important element of this story in the future, so keep your eyes peeled. I think that there is a lot of me in everything I feel passionate about. I am passionate about writing, so it's no secret that I will insert as much of myself into my texts as possible. It is, however, a fact that is easily missed by many. I am not as interesting as my characters; there isn't as much drama in a regular life as there is in fiction. However, a famous writer once said that we tend to "be" the characters we create, enhanced and embellished: the man had a point. Exposing myself feels awkward, but certain sacrifices have to be made for the sake of writing. Intriguing, in my experience, is always a good thing. If you have too many questions though, don't hesitate to ask, I don't mind. I won't go into detail but, that little pearl of wisdom at the end of your last review saved my life, in a way. Everything is connected and the fact that your words related to something I was going through proves that theory is real, yet again. As always, I am extremely thankful for your feedback and kind words. Till next chapter!

Well, that's all folks! See you again next chapter. Don't hesitate to drop a line and to suggest ideas; I consider myself fairly open-minded. Thanks for reading and… I'm off on my balloon! 


	5. Rise and Fall: the Death of a Party

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: Rurouni Kenshin is not my property: need I say more? Also, any song that I make reference to in this chapter, or any other for that matter, does not, never has and never will belong to me._

**Quick little message from author: Uh… let's see: updating didn't go as fast as I expected; sorry about that. Nonetheless, you guys will actually benefit from that because, the reason for the none-too-quick update is that Iram went into perfectionist mode! Sure enough, I read this chapter and decided it just wouldn't do the way it was, so I took the liberty of seriously rewriting it. In my opinion, the final product was well worth the delay; in my defense, I have the first awful draft to compare it to. Well, happy reading everyone and, please, feel free to review if you have any suggestions, if there is something you don't understand and wish clarified, if you feel you have anything to say, as silly as it might be, I will readily appreciate it, make good use of your advice and answer to whatever lies in my capabilities of response. ^_^**

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**Chapter 5: Rise and Fall: the Death of a Party**

**(Drinking through the right of Partying – Part II)**

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"What Irishman lives in the town of Bedrock? Blarney Rubble, that's who!"

The loud rumble of drunken laughter could be heard as Kamiya Kaoru made lame jokes by the keg. Four tall glasses of beer and three or four jelly shots could do that to a person…

"Okay guys: where do ravens hang out?"

- Dramatic pause during which several overly happy people scratched their heads and _really pulled on their thinking caps – _

"At a crowbar!"

Roaring, giggling, snorting, slurping and madness ensued.

So far, Drunk-Kaoru was a real hit, and quite a change from the reserved young girl sulking in her chair that she had been less than an hour ago.

Tired of entertaining the masses and looking to be entertained instead, Kaoru left the spotlight and a promising career in stand-up comedy behind, intent on blowing minds at the dance floor- if a crammed area where bodies tightly slammed against each other for lack of space could be referred to as such.  

Moving to the beat in an entirely offbeat and ungraceful manner, Kaoru was soon enough assaulted by several males. With a snicker here and a raunchy wink there, she warded few off and lured many others in: once a Siren's true song is brought to light, only wax and earplugs can seal the distance; otherwise, the spell is cast and irresistible attraction turns into an epidemic. 

Furthermore, when drinking, one cannot lie, only feel and thus, through alcohol (definitely the wrong way to go about self-discovery) true natures are revealed, the unconsciousness' eternal song is harmonized- with minor behavioral alterations to be taken into account- and from the foamy seas, the Siren arises.

In this newfound Nereid-in-euphoria state, Kaoru pranced around, humming to upbeat tunes, swaying to and fro. It was during one particular _sway that she twirled off into someone's inexpectant arms:_

"Kaoru?"

"Hmm?" was all the sound that could slip from her lips as she drowned into sky blue seas… shouldn't they be purple?

Shaking her head in confusion, she cleared her mind and smiled dumbly at the boy holding her by the shoulders, at arm's length.

"I hadn't seen you for a while there…"

"Hmm… you're cute! In fact, I like you but, shhh… it's a secret!" she whispered loudly, bringing a finger to her lips, oblivious to that which she was confessing to, only able to _feel_ the moment.

"I promise I won't tell." he responded to her declaration with a warm chuckle.

"Good to know you can keep secrets. Wanna dance?"

"Uh… Kaoru… we are dancing."

"Hunh? Oh…cool!" she responded, at first slightly taken aback by this discovery, then simply elated by it, as her wide silly grin hard proofed. 

"Yeah…"

As they _danced_, Patrick steered her towards a quieter spot, namely a dark corner somewhere within the building.

"Kaoru, how drunk are you?" he asked, relatively distressed.

"I'm not sure…" she said sheepishly.

A frown marred his features and, on impulse, Kaoru planted a chaste kiss on his cheek: a desperate attempt at making him lighten up again, at being able to touch him,_ feel_ him, just once, ever so softly and chastely.

Suddenly and abruptly, she was pinned against the wall, Patrick's lips fiercely covering her own. Her heart pounded wildly inside her chest as dream mingled with fantastic, hazy truth gained life. Her mind went on override as his fingers slipped into her hair and his mouth trailed hot, wet kisses down her neck. Her eyes widened in misty discomfiture as his wandering hands roughly pressed her top up, hungrily searching for her bra clasp.

Kaoru was floating; nothing made sense anymore, everything seemed fictitious and overly false, as if only a scene taking place in a movie. When would the director yell _"cut"_? In fact, why didn't the director yell _"cut"_ already? This was _not_ going according to script, she was sure of it!

Drunken stupor present, romantic expectations surpassed and let down, Kaoru sensed something was off. After having shut her eyes in discomfort, she reopened them to take a closer look at the boy greedily nuzzling her neck and seeking to unfasten her bra: something was off. Panting, she pushed his hands away, only to have him ignore her slant command.  

Tenaciously and faintly spooked, she thrust his body away from hers, only to have him press down closer to her: something was wrong.

She swatted his hands away from her unsuccessfully for they kept coming back, set on their original intent: something was off.

Mustering up all of her strength and remaining bodily coordination, Kaoru delivered a powerful kick to his groin and watched him squirm in pain: something was off.

Awkwardly and absentmindedly, she stumbled, trudged and tumbled away from the pained individual leaning against the wall. Her head was spinning like a mad top and she knew she needed to rest and regain her focus.

In this half conscious condition, Kaoru swerved from side to side through a dimly lit corridor packed with couples until she made out a white door: exeunt Kaoru except all, or was it Hamlet? She just could not bring herself to think or reason coherently: what a perfect moment to pick for aphasia to nestle neatly inside her brain's functioning!

Barging into the isolated, empty room, Kaoru reached for the first chair available and lurched herself into a sitting position: something was off.

This place was nice: it was rather quiet and withdrawn from all the exterior mental alienation; the headache that had been gradually building up was likely to dissipate and abandon her.

Thus, in her current hazy perception of a world gone askew, Kaoru couldn't make head from tails, but something was off: of that she was certain.

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Fun. Define 'fun'. To any writer's dismay, synonyms of the word in question exist in spades, but antonyms… few of those make their way into the withered yellow page's of any self proclaimed author's bible-like supporting material: dictionaries. 

However, one thing lies undeniable: if the word _fun_ were to have a distinct opposite, Kenshin was, currently, very close to inventing a new, fully acceptable, term for it.  Hence, all thesauruses beware: a new addition to their already jam-packed contents was right around the corner!

Wallowing in self pity and mentally bashing Sano for another one of his _brilliant ideas gone wrong, the petite red haired man evacuated the area, leaving Sano to fend off for himself in a heated game of Twister.  _

"Frat parties…" Kenshin murmured with a snort as he made his way through the ecstatic multitude.

No doubt that half of the mob was made up by wannabe freshmen too eager to grow up to realize that they were just out to make fools of themselves.

Stopping dead in his tracks, he allowed himself a smile as he caught sight of something he thought he would never live to see: Aoshi, the tall, silent and cold philosophy student he had once roomed with while still living on-campus, was pulling and tugging a thin, fairly young girl, off some surfer's lap. In all honesty, this was, by far, the biggest display of emotions that he had ever seen from the stoic, meditative man in all the time they had known and come to respect each other.

Seemingly, everyone had a soft spot for someone these days. Everyone but him…  

Kenshin winced; now was not the time to be thinking about _her. The original purpose for his presence at this hullabaloo of a bash was to unwind and have a good time, something her memory was not going to deprive him of!_

She had already taken so much of him with her that he refused to surrender the last remaining, incalculably minute, portion of his personality that was still able to appreciate the pleasure inspired by randomly enjoyable activities to recollections and still-frames of her serene demeanor. It just would not do for him to crawl back into that sour, dark pit of bitter hopelessness right about now.

He had to wake up somehow, he needed to breathe again. But handling and seeing daylight in everything was so hard with her gone…

Wasn't there something that could make it all better, that could soothe his soul?

* SPLOSH *

Kenshin closed his eyes and sighed.

"Srrydude!" some buzzed moron slurred.

Swallowing an angry growl and disinterested in stirring up any type of confrontation, the now soaked Kenshin strode away. As soon as he got home he would have to profusely wash his hair, unless he developed a sudden urge to smell like beer and road kill in the morning. 

The problem with being slightly shorter than other males: tending to go unnoticed, if distracted and oblivious to one's surroundings, usually unfolded into a lamentable tale, as for instance, that of the aggressor, victim and amber brew just recounted.

Heaving another sigh, said victim walked off, purposefully avoiding the noisy group crowding the keg; one quick dunk in alcohol was more than enough!

Sauntering along calmly through a dark hallway full of smooching couplets, violet eyes began to smolder and relax; the music wasn't as loud here and, thankfully, no brimming paper cups were in the near vicinity to drench and spite him.

Easing up in the lax ambience encompassing him, Kenshin did not see the inebriated rag-tag company coming straight at him until they practically bulldozed him.

Leaping to the side out of immediate reflex and self preservation instinct, his body knocked a door open and he landed flat on his back against the hard wood floor. 

Lamenting himself and rubbing his sore backside, Kenshin decided to make a mental note to self: he needed to practice on his landings; they were a bit rusty.

Once he was on his feet again, he decided to take a look around to determine just where exactly he had sprawled himself into.

To his surprise, there, by a long oak table, sat a worn down… angel?

Both the way her body shimmered and glistened and how her soft hair messily framed the smooth contours of her exotic face proved enthralling and perplexing beyond belief to the young man's thunderstruck stare.

Her skin exuded softness and entrancing pallor, the raven colored cascades flowing and dancing about her an alluring contrast to its porcelain-like quality, by far exceeding human comprehension.  

Her delicate nose bestowed upon her an aura of ambrosial fragility and diaphaneity, but her set jaw and the weariness in her sapphire eyes conveyed and exposed an earthier feel to her. In fact, Kenshin sensed great strength of character radiating from her petite, misleading form.

The vision of her, with her chin daintily rested in her hands and her silent, piercing glare was surreal, aerial and almost celestial; did his eyes deceive him when she candidly and unmistakably shined and sparkled before him like some sort of distant star?

Afraid of breaking the spell, concerned about drinks spiked with certain mind altering substances and frightened by the possibility of this ethereal image before him vanishing into thin air, resulting in nothing more than a fanciful hallucination, Kenshin slowly and quietly ambled over to a nearby chair and sat across from her in silent, contemplative admiration.

For her part, she took to eyeing the stranger wearily: she didn't feel like striking up conversation with anyone at that particular moment; her stomach was twisting in and round itself and, for some odd reason, her ears were ringing. It was definitely not the best of times for Kaoru…

Eventually though, defeated and shaken by the warmth and tenderness reflected in the unknown boy's eyes, the tired out girl decided to make an effort and open up to communication:

"Mou! Something about tonight is off." she declared with a cute little pout.

"I would have to agree with that." he spoke in a hushed whisper.

Her voice, he discovered, also had the power to take him aback: not an ounce of feminine enticement permeated the childlike sugary drawl. Instead, the pure, satiny chiming of bells filled his ears, her vocalizations, melodious and mirthful in a playful manner, unintended to be seductive in any way. Unassuming perhaps; captivating nonetheless.

"When did things stop making sense?" she wondered aloud, facing him straight-on, as if intent on reading his soul; he seemed familiar somehow…

"I ask myself that same question every day." he announced distractedly, too engrossed in uncovering the mystery of her essence to pay any attention to the words that so carelessly coursed from within him, to the display of raw emotions that had been gnawing at him ever since, ever since… no, he would not think about _her now, there was no reason to anymore._

"Well, then I'm sorry for you because, feeling this disoriented every single day, can't be good. Tonight, I feel so out of touch with reality…"

"Tonight does seem pretty… make-believe."  he amended, before he could insert the word 'fairytale' into a dialogue he was currently involved in with a person of remarkably fairy-compatible features.

"Yup! So, why are you this confused every waking day?"

"It's a very long story." Kenshin brusquely replied, not really wanting to get into the gritty details of his failed love-life with a complete stranger, albeit a fascinatingly beautiful one.   

"Tonight feels like the kind of night that could weave itself into tales and stories."

"I wouldn't be too thrown if you did happen to come straight out of a fairytale, that I would not! In a way, it would explain quite a lot." he reported, unable to restrain himself any longer from making the inevitable comparison.

"What about you, purple-eyed boy? Those eyes look pretty fairytalish to me! Where did you come straight out of?" she inquired well naturedly.

"You don't want to know." he said grimacing, shadows masking his face and one hell of a scar.

Kaoru frowned. She wasn't thinking straight, she wasn't in any condition to do so but, but… what could she say?! She had to say something because, something wasn't right. His face hadn't been as dim and dark seconds ago and, she might not have been thinking straight, but she wasn't completely insensitive; she knew she had to say something. 

_"Oh no, don't let my fried wires blow it! I swear I'll never drink again but please, don't let me screw this up!"_

With amazing self-control, serenity and poise and as composed and sincerely austere as she had ever been in almost her entire life, Kamiya Kaoru found the answer that she was looking for in the recesses of her muddled mind and overly trusting heart:

"Alright, I won't bother you with your past then; let it stay buried for all I care! What about the present though? Why are you lost in the present? The rest can wait until you trust me…until you trust yourself."

_"Okay, it had to be the right thing to say, that didn't exactly mean it had to make sense…"_

Kenshin's pupils dilated and he unconsciously held his breath. Who exactly was this girl? Why did she seem to be pushing all the right buttons? How did she know just which words to say?

Now he was absolutely positive that he had gotten himself drunk, had passed out somewhere and was currently caught in an inner turmoil session/conversation with his subconscious, courtesy of low grade beer and cheap vodka. Frat-parties…

"Why don't you tell me why I'm so lost?"

If this was his repressed psyche's way of telling him something, then he might as well diminish the cryptic factor and give it a little push in the direction to some answers, answers to questions that he didn't know he even had to begin with…

Meanwhile, the goddess in disguise across the table scrunched up her brow and stared at him for the longest time, seemingly measuring him up, hesitating with something, and then coming to terms with her final verdict. 

"This might just be the alcohol talking- yes, a part of me recognizes I'm wasted- so, before I start slurring nonsensense rhymes together and loose what I think iz still some level of clearheadneness, I shh-ould say that, I think… you are the only one who knows the answer to that question. 

Do you have any asprrin? My head is about to explode and you look rrreaaally blu-rry and that's one of my favorite songs and… do we know each other?"

"We do now." he said, gifting her with a small, honest smile.

She was beginning to loose thread of any coherent thought; it was all bubbling to the surface and swimming to her head again: talk about chemical imbalance! 

Smiling gold, Kaoru reached across the table and took his hand in her own. With keen interest and fascination, Kenshin watched as she turned it over and gently stroked his palm with her delicate, teasing fingers, reveling in the silken softness of her skin making slight, shy contact with his own.

"That's right: you and me, we've always been, haven't we?"

Kenshin drank in her rosy cheeks, her tantalizing lips, the flowing black velveteen of her hair, her resplendent moonlit eyes, the whole of her and wished with all his might, that if they had not always been, they could, at least, always be. 

_"Yep, I'm definitely drunk and comatose somewhere…"_

"How much did you have to drink?" he asked her condescendingly, trying to step away from the foolish thoughts that had invaded him unwillingly.

Kaoru furrowed her brow and started counting off on her fingers.

"Mou! I've never been good with numbers anyway!" she pouted, dismissing the lost track of alcohol ingestion with a wave of her hand.

Kenshin laughed heartily, surprising himself in the process; when was the last time he had actually felt like laughing? 

Kaoru glared daggers at him and rolled her eyes- there was nothing funny about flunking Math with a big fat "F"!

Deciding to set aside building up grudges, our heroine conformed herself with proving capable of entertaining an audience, and talk of numbers made her think of some assuredly _good_ jokes to tell. In spite of her prior irritation, she thought that the guy in front of her had a nice smile and she liked the sound of his laugh, even if it did make her head spin a little:

"Oh, I have a good one! What did the oprater say when she broke it off with her boyfriend?"

Kenshin couldn't hope to guess; the innocent sparkle in her eye made it hard for him to breathe, let alone think. What the _hell_ was in that beer?! 

"Sorry, wrong number!" she answered for him in a fake nasal tone.

A wave of laughter took over her and she was powerless to stop, even when tears prickled at the corner of her eyes. Kenshin, bemused by her hilarious reaction to her own pathetic attempt at a joke, was also having trouble holding chuckles, snickers, cackles and titters in.

"Honest to God, I have no idea where that came from! I try to stop myself but this stuff is like truth and goof serum all in one!"

"At least you can still pronounce things correctly, most of the time." he pointed out kindly.

"Just you wait! Soon, I won't be able to ev- OH!!! "Can't take my eyes off you" Lauryn Hill version! That song is AWE-SOME! Must dance around!!!" she blurted out, standing up hastily.

A fast rush of tampered blood to the head and Kaoru crashed ungraciously back into her seat.

"Are you okay?"

"What is wrong with the world?! Can't it for one lousy minute stop spinning so I can at least dance to one song?!! Is it too much to ask for my vizision to adjust one tiny second, just enough time so I can get my groove on?!!"

Suddenly, our young protagonist found himself peering at the frantic ranting female in an entirely different light; that of a clumsy schoolgirl in a pink shirt, to be more precise…

"Have we me-"

Unfortunately, he never got the chance to finish his sentence as, bursting through the door, a handsome boy with angry storms in his eyes, made his appearance.

Scowling and swearing, Patrick Lunn rushed up to the dark haired beauty, poised and positively smashed in her chair, ready to give her a piece of his mind, and then some:

"What the fuck do you think you were doing, getting me all riled up like that?! Did you think you could just walk away? And where the hell do you get off kicking _me Kamiya?!!"_

When Patrick's hand wrapped around Kaoru's arm, distress flashed through her eyes and Kenshin, instantaneously, decided to make his move. For some unknown unsung reason, a surge of uncontrollable rage and protectiveness stirred within him, a wave of potency so strong that it took all of his self-restraint and forbearance to keep his hands from curling around the intruder's neck. He was puzzled: this was terribly unlike him!

To the extent of his knowledge regarding himself, Kenshin was more of a peaceful nature rather than a rash, impulsive 'pounce and pummel first, ask questions later' kind of man. In effect, he would much rather avoid brawls like the plague than get involved in absurd clobbering and random acts of violence; he only acted out when strictly necessary. If so, then where was this maddening overly passionate anger and vexation coming from?

Trying to keep his cool and cursing a possibly spiked drink (that being the only _logical explanation for his loss of control on everything this evening) Kenshin decided to let this rude, exasperating boy off with a warning:_

"I do not wish to intrude, that I do not, but it seems to me that the lady here is not particularly pleased with your presence: I must ask that you leave her be and calmly withdraw yourself from the room at once."

The following sequence of events happened in a flash of light; the lightning speed with which they were executed rendering their recount practically impossible.

First came a loud snort, then a large hand gripped a shoulder, nails biting painfully into flesh. A young girl flinched, the trace of a lonesome tear abandoning the glassy look in her eye. Something like a thin balancing line holding everything in place snapped and a man got harshly slammed against a wall.

Kenshin's grip round Patrick's throat tightened as Kaoru stared on in mute confusion, curiosity, fascination, bewilderment and too many other adjectives to count.

"I _did_ ask you nicely." Kenshin barked out in a low, guttural growl.

"I'm… so – orr - y  ma - an…" the blond struggled to spit out in his current oxygen-free predicament.

"You're worthless… Just stay away from her or I'll guarantee there'll be hell to pay!"

He released the now terrified teen and walked toward the door without as much as a backward glance.

"Come on, let's go." he commanded a bit roughly without meeting her eyes.

In a daze, in a blur, in a swirling cup, Kaoru let him pull her up and drag her out.

Still paralyzed by full blown terror and unsure if he could refrain himself from wetting his pants, Patrick stared after the retreating couple, the vivid image of the small man's glowering eyes chilling him to the core.

"Those eyes… Something in those eyes wasn't right…" he whispered to himself.

Fazed and, all of a sudden dizzy, he slid down against the wall, eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"Those eyes…"

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Blundering through the crowd, Kaoru had to lean against her rescuer for support. Her world was spinning out of orbit and his hasty pace only made things worse.

Round and round goes the merry-go-round, executing perfect circles of chaotic nature. Round and round goes the merry-go-round, alcoholmeter and frazzled mind absolutely saturated. Round and round a stomach churns. Round and round the wheels turn. Round and run the whirlpool down to a stop, to a stop, to a stop:

"Stop!" she cried, gluing the soles of her shoes to one sole spot, willing the world to, basically, come to a stop.

Sadly, standing still was no longer an option; suffering from a severe case of incoordination and lack of balance, she braced herself for impact… impact that never came for, kindly enough, someone had taken it upon themselves to steady her, someone with long auburn hair… 

"Wow that bright!" she remarked, as her eyes responded to the sudden red imagery invading her view by watering up.

"Come on; let's get you home." he stated softly, pulling her fully upright.

After helping her take a few wobbly steps, Kenshin placed one of his arms round her waist and raised one of her own over his shoulders: _so this is how it felt like to be an improvised human crutch…_

It was in this cumbersome position that they finally reached his jeep. Carefully setting her down on the passenger seat, he buckled her seatbelt for her safety, deaf to her protests. Heaving a sigh and wrinkling his nose at the stench of beer that impregnated his hair ad clothes, Kenshin slid onto the driver's seat and started the engine.

With a small, weak smile, he turned to the haggard girl beside him, intent on coaxing her address out of her and, with that valuable information's use, dropping her off at her home.

"Alright: where to?" he asked in the cheeriest tone he could muster.

"To infinity and beyond!" she screeched out among bubbly giggles.

"That's… nice. Miss, I'm going to need your address to take you home..."

"Don't tell straiiinge – ers where you live!"

"No, I'm not a _stranger_; I'm a friend… I mean, I helped you in there didn't I? You can trust me."

"Of course I can!"

"Good! So… where to then?"

"Start driving already!"

"I will start driving in a minute, but first, I would like to know where we're headed."

"Why, we're going to ride off into the sunset, silly!"

Kenshin groaned and let his head rest against the steering wheel; why did helping people always land him into trouble? What kind of person had he been in a past life to deserve such bad karma?

"Miss, please, I'm sure your parents will be worried about you…"

"There's no need; I'm at Misao's place, remember? Fake sleepovers are… sneaky… and wrong… but they're practical!"

"Miss, please, tell me where you live so I can take you home." he demanded pleadingly.

"I live… in a box of paints!"

"That's it, no more listening to the radio for you! Now, I need to take you home…" he said, turning the car radio off to avoid distracting her further.

"Home?" she asked, pausing thoughtfully.

"Yes, _home_!"

"Home… tadaima!"

"No, we still aren't home yet, but if you-"

"So? Start driving, then!"

"I can't drive unless I know where I'm going!"

There was only so much even a patient man could take!

"Home: drive home!"

"Where _is _'home'?"

"Did you just get all phisisiosphical on me?

"No, I'm simply asking for directions…"

"You need directions to get home?" she inquired incredulously.

"To get to _your_ humble dwelling, yes, I do."

"Humble? Hum… Humming bird… Bees hum, right?"

"This is pointless…" he grumbled to himself, letting his head drop against the steering wheel anew.

"Bzz bzz."

"Look: I know that you are drunk and I know that you aren't much more than a schoolgirl, but I need you to think with me here for a second; try to remember, at least your telephone number so I can, if not drop you off, have someone come pick you up. I'll wait with you and everything, so you won't be all alone out here in the dark! This conversation is getting us nowhere, but I can't just leave you here, all alone, all liquored up. So, _please, work with me… at least tell me your__ name…"_

"Zzz…"

"Miss?!!"

Kenshin turned sideways to find his damsel in distress all worn out and lightly snoring her ethyl induced fatuity away. Sighing in defeat, he focused on how delicate and frail she looked when she slept.

However, before he could continue with his pleasant musings, the thought struck him: she still hadn't told him where she lived and, now, she was in his car, out could!!!

Glowering and muttering obscenities under his breath, he gritted his teeth and drove off. If being the good Samaritan was, indeed, meant to be a _good_ thing, then why, why did helping people never work out the way it was meant to?

Bad karma, definitely bad karma…

Cursed beer, damned vodka, blasted every single drink on the face of the planet. Stupid, _stupid_, frat parties!

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_Reviewer Responses:_

**To Fangirl: **Actually, I'm not a Misao lover. The general idea of this fic is to tell the story of Kaoru and Kenshin, whichever it might be. The other characters will make appearances to allow a plot's existence and to help carry the story along, hopefully making it more interesting. As you can see, Misao had little participation in this chapter. She will continue to appear later on in the story, considering that she is, in this fic, Kaoru's best friend, but she does not have a leading role. She will be more of a comic relief character and, again, someone to help carry the story along. My main interest, however, is K/K. Thank you for the suggestion, for the compliment and, hopefully, you will continue to read this and your name will appear on the review list more often? That would make me very happy ^_^

**To Ocean Fish:** You want more? You got it! Again, my mood lightens every time I find one of your reviews!!! I'm not slacking off; sometimes putting what I want into words is difficult and takes a LOT of time. Still, I know that's no excuse. I will try to update is often as I can, but maintaining a level of quality and rushing don't mix, trust me @_@ So… *fidgets around nervously*  when will _you be updating? Come on, you left me seriously intrigued!!! Also *resumes fidgeting nervously* was this chapter of your liking?  Thank you for always encouraging me, it does wonders for this fic and for my self-esteem ^_~_

**To A.R Frederick: ** I am very grateful to the attention and interest that you have both given and taken in me and my writing. Those so-called ramblings of yours are quite helpful and thoroughly appreciated. Saving my life? It's a manner of speech for a teenager prone to melodrama: you know how us kids can be; always thinking it's the end of the world and making a lot out of nothing. Still, it helps when someone you don't even know shows up and says the right thing, even if they did it unknowingly. Warm and fuzzy? The accurate translation to that would probably be that your reviews always make me happy and please me a whole bunch. I agree: Misao should not put herself through so much trouble for someone's love, no one should. I don't want to give anything away, but I think that might be a subject worth broaching later on in the story. I hope this chapter was enjoyable enough; I certainly took my time with it, seeing as I wrote it parallel to chapter 4 and then succumbed to massive rewriting efforts to improve its original quality. Thank you for your kind offer; it's good to know that this world of ours never ceases to surprise. Till next chapter…

Thank you all for your reviews! Please keep your eyes open for a new chapter, coming soon to a computer near you!  


	6. The thing that should NOT be

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY:_ All rights of Rurouni Kenshin reserved to… well, simply put, not me!

**Quick little message from author: Okay, initially I planned for this chapter to be longer. I have a feeling though, that it would just be too long. So… as I did with the "party" sequence, I'll split this into two parts as well. I meant to update sooner, but I got stuck. That's it; there is no other perfectly valid excuse. I know where the characters are going (more or less), taking them there is the hard part. Who knew playing God could be so complicated? @_@  Anyway, my apologies to all of you for taking my sweet time on this, I hope you all aren't too disappointed in me. Another thing: if any of you happen to have the song "Dream a little Dream of me" around, pop it into your player to set the mood for the first scene. Last, but not least: I have to warn that there's a little sexual innuendo thing going on in this chapter, so don't say I didn't warn you!**

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**Chapter 6: The thing that should Not be.**

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Groan, stretch, yawn. Fall off bed, groan some more, drool on wood flooring, do- wait a minute… _Wood flooring?_ Well, _this_ was new…

Cracking one eye open Kaoru let out a soft whimper of a moan, seemingly reintroduced to the light of the living after experiencing neutral pitch darkness for…she really wasn't equipped to give time estimates; mathematical calculations of any kind _really_ were not her thing! 

Tentatively re-squinting both eyes open, she discovered a new world rotating vertiginously upon itself in a delirious flurry of vibrant colors and burning brightness. 

Muttering hoarsely under her breath and aware of the strain she was causing her every sore muscle and a _verily_ groggy brain turned to mush, she forced herself to climb back atop the tepid mattress. 

It was during this particularly messy and painful process of rejoining safety beneath warm blankets that she let her vision wander off to the side… and 'eeped'.

With a loud gasp- her knees giving way- she landed headfirst on the bed, her face smothered and suffocated by a fluffy pillow: so much for taking care not to worsen her headache!

Peeling her shell-shocked gaze off the fleecy cushiony buttress, Kaoru locked eyes on the source of her surprise, perplexity and mystification: mirrors didn't lie, right?

If so, then why was she currently staring at a _very_ disheveled image of herself spread stragglingly across a bed draped in an extremely unfeminine black cotton bedspread, clothed in nothing but a large, loose, awfully skimpy, and obviously male, button-down shirt?!!

_"Okay Kamiya, don't panic!  Relax; start breathing and think of any logical explanation for this…this…bizarre…**development? Would that be the right word for waking up in a strange room, on a strange bed with no recollection whatsoever of having changed into borrowed- impromptu- pajamas the other night?! Is that the proper word to use when one does not remember a thing about the night's dealings and wakes up in an unfamiliar environment, trying to shake off the perfect amnesiac state?!!   IS IT?!!**_

_Oh, okay Kaoru: take deep breaths! Don't think about that right now; focus on trying to deduce where you are instead. Don't give it much thought; after all, there has to be a reasonable explanation for all of this. _

_You know who you are; you know you wouldn't just jump into bed with some stranger… would you? Oh great! Just had to pick the perfect moment to start doubting myself and putting my entire life and upbringing into question, didn't I?!!_

_Oh, it's okay, don't freak out: clear your head and breathe in…breathe out… That's it: deep breaths, deep breaths; think of this as Lamaze… which you could be practicing soon enough if you didn't use protection! Oh no… I just had to get into thinking about childbirth methods right about now, didn't I?!!_

_Oh stop it! Stop it! This train of thought isn't going to get you anywhere so buck up and face the music- never mind that your brain is giving you a re-run of every crappy soap-opera you have ever seen where young teens suffer of date rape, alcohol induced insanity and unwanted pregnancies. Let alone STDs and…SHUSH! Now is not the time for paranoia or acrid cynicism!_

_ Just relax, keep breathing and start looking for answers! Who knows? Maybe nothing happened and you are worrying yourself needlessly. Yes, that's it: nothing happened!"_

Still shaking in her metaphorical boots, Kaoru scrambled off the bed and, standing unsteadily on the balls of her feet, decided to take a look around: snooping a bit could turn out to be useful, given the circumstances…

One: there was no bedside companion present, all in all, an extraordinarily good thing.

Two: there was a gigantic drawing table to the left of the room with stacks of books and large sheets of paper piled on its surface. Oversized rulers, set squares and protractors, plus pens, markers and tubes of crazy glue added to the untidy mix, indicating that, whoever owned the place, had artistic tendencies or was some type of geeky math whiz/crackpot inventor.

Next: setting the jumble on the drawing table aside, the person that usually inhabited the room was neater and far more organized than Kaoru could ever hope to be. Sure his workspace could be more orderly but, apart from that, nothing else in the room was out of place. Where were the heaps of clothes adorning the floor in a diversely unique quilt of colors and textures? Where were the dirty plates and glasses or cartons of take-out left strewn about the local of her anguish and awkward-to say the least- awakening? Kaoru did a double-take and furrowed her brow in confusion: this _was_ a guy's room, right?

Dashing off to a closet and tugging its doors ajar, she poked her head in and gave the contents a look-see: yep, he was a guy alright!

Gently closing the doors to the private property that she had _slightly invaded, an extensive list of __do's and __don'ts reeled off inside her weathered cerebrum:_

· _Do_ ask for things; _don't_ tell people things.

· _Do _wear perfume;_ don't _freaking macerate in it!

· _Do_ brush your teeth after every meal;_ don't_ give your toothbrush a holiday.

· _Do _drink with measure;_ don't_ get yourself silly drunk.

· The ultimate _do: make love for the first time, and always, with someone you love and trust._

· The thing that should NOT be, the _don't_ that you will forever regret adding to your list of _do's_: loosing your virginity to a stranger and having no subsequent remembrance of the once in a lifetime event! 

Groaning in defeat and praying to any god that might listen that that was not the case, the petite Kamiya Kasshin Ryu practitioner squared her shoulders, smoothed the creases on her/his shirt and, putting on a straight face, prepped herself to face the exterior world and the truth, however unbearable it might prove to be…

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An incredibly spacious loft greeted her as she abandoned the relative safety of not knowing and dived into the murky waters of 'soon to find out'.

Large leather couch, two comfortable and imposing lay-z boy recliners, modern coffee table, the latest in sound systems, a humongous T.V. set whose screen she knew she could ogle at in awe for days on end; if it weren't for the house plant in the corner and the spotlessly clean state the apartment was in, not once would she put into question that this was a guy's pad. 

However, the decoration clearly lacked feminine warmth and the fact that a man stood hunched over a stove in a kitchen smartly integrated to the living area set all and any of her doubts at ease- not that _that_ eased her up any…

From where she stood all she could see was his long red mane, soaked and wildly streaming about him. He was shorter than she had expected, but then again, last night was just an immense blank. Considering the condition anyone would have to have been in to awaken with severe hypomnesia, it probably wouldn't take that large a man to… whatever happened to the benefit of the doubt?

Sigh. Okay, maybe she _could_ try the unassuming approach, maybe she could allow herself to hope for a world where the strong did not instinctively prey on the weak or wounded. The heavens knew: if there had been a time when she had been most compelled to be idealistic and believe in the best of humankind, it was now!

Hearing the light shuffling of feet, Kenshin stopped his stirring in the benefit of lunch and turned to the benefit of the mysterious sleeper, apparently finally up and about. What his eyes landed upon was more than he had bargained for.

Standing before him was a frightened slip of a girl, ebony strands of tousled hair shimmering every which way in the evening sun filtering through the skylight, deep blue eyes intensely boring into his own. The fact that she was wearing his shirt served as useful visual enhancement to the endearing moment when possessiveness unknown to him swelled up inside his chest: what was wrong with him? He didn't even know the first thing about this strange creature- let alone her name- and already he welcomed the sight of her in his clothes, as his own. Perhaps he should start making calls; see if he could find himself a decent psychologist…

As for Kaoru… well, struck speechless couldn't even come close to describing the state she found herself in when her eyes came into contact with the soft amethyst gaze of a handsome stranger clad in… nothing, except for a white towel loosely wrapped round his waist. 

Thoughts and emotions ran unchecked through her in remarkable abundance. The pressing issue of just what exactly she was doing there lost all relevance. Suddenly, she became another painting on the wall, another ashtray on the table, another spoon in his hand. She was as wisely integrated to his world as was the aforementioned kitchen to the living room.  She was befuddled, frightened, dumfounded, enlightened. She was…_ "what is this feeling?"_

"I see you're finally awake! I hope you aren't feeling too bad; your head probably hurts a little though, doesn't it? I'll get you some aspirin right away!"

Kenshin once again spun on his heel and rummaged through some cabinets until he found the infamous acetylsalicylic acid tablets. 

Quietly, he opened the fridge, poured a glass of water, handed it all over and watched in fascination as the obviously stunned girl downed the feel-good medicine in silence. 

Setting the empty glass back on the counter, Kaoru found herself with no delicate, subtle way of broaching the subject of her mental wretchedness. Thus, muteness followed his brief initial monologue as she tried to digest the possible implications of his words and set her thoughts straight.

Nervously diminished to discomfort, Himura Kenshin decided to take the establishment of communication into his own hands, as he had proceeded to do the night before:

"Well, in any case, I'm glad that you are at long last conscious: you had me worried there for a second. Umh… I should apologize about your clothes but, they were so… rumpled and umh… 

Anyway, I took the liberty of dropping them off at the dry cleaner's and, not to worry, Megumi left some other clothes you could wear here after I called her. 

I would have washed them myself but I don't think they would have taken too well to a regular washing machine. Besides, even if you had wanted to, you wouldn't have been able to get back into those.

Also, I made lunch for us; I doubt that you're hungry, but you should eat something all the same. Last night probably took a lot out of you and well, I wouldn't want you to get dehydrated…"

Kaoru's eyes widened and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. What could she have possibly done the other night with this… boy, that would leave her worn out, let alone dehydrated?!   

After being in an unusual state of big calm, terror, alarm, anxiety, consternation and dread were here to stay.

"I… I don't… I don't even know your name…" she stuttered and stammered, trailing off into a hushed whisper.

"Oh, we can fix that! Himura Kenshin, at your service!" he replied to her disconcerting inquiry extending his hand, at the ready to wrap her own in a polite handshake.

When she made no sudden moves to acknowledge him or take the opportunity to introduce herself, he flew into another bout of skittish ramblings:

"I presume that… well… meeting me like this must not be that pleasant but, I used my roommate's shower to avoid disturbing your sleep and, my clothes are in the room you were resting in so-"

"You _presume_ that it must be unpleasant? You _presume_??? What do you think?!! How would you react if you were the one in my situation?!! How could you?!! Who gave you the right to 'get my clothes all rumpled up' last night?!! Is that what they're calling it these days?!! Have those words suddenly become substitutes for 'taking advantage of a young girl'!?? HAVE THEY?!!" she cried out in an explosive, dark and menacing blowup.

"Wait a minute I didn't-"

"You don't get to talk!!! You don't get to explain yourself!!! You don't get to tell me anything because you don't have the faintest clues as to what you have done! You probably don't even have a conscience, so there's no way you can ever feel guilty about any of this!!! What kind of a man are you?!!"

"Just hold on, you think-"

"You don't get to tell me what I think!!! I am disgusted at the moment and nothing you say or do is going to change the fact that, up until a few seconds ago, I didn't even know your name!!! I can't believe this is happening to me!!! I can't believe that a person I had never before seen in my life is the one person that I- actually, I do know you, don't I? 

Of course! How could I ever forget someone as unique-looking as you?!! You're that guy that _helped_ me out on the street the other day!!! And to think I actually caught myself wondering if I would ever get the chance to see you again! This is unbelievable!!!"

"Sorry to intrude upon your little tantrum here but, don't I at least get a chance to explain myself?!!"

Kenshin was abashed and visibly irked by the direction her unknowing unfounded conclusions were taking. He too was picking at straws, considering that his sorry attempts at clarification and her blind frustration would both lead them nowhere. 

"NO!!!" she bellowed, eyeing the object nearest to her within throwing range.

Thankfully, a loud booming voice coming from the loft's entrance was wafting in and in its usual blunt fashion, would likely save the day:

"Hello kiddies! Oh, so sleeping beauty finally woke up! How's that hang-over working out for you missy? Kenshin, lunch had better be ready because, I gotta tell ya, I'm starving! So, did you finally probe your charity case's name outta her? Well, are you just going to stand there or are you gonna help me with the groceries?"

"Sagara Sanosuke…" Kaoru breathed out in shock, thoughts of turning any object within her grasp into a deadly weapon long forgotten at the sudden turn of events. 

The tall man loaded with brown paper bags turned his short attention span her way and, likewise, widened his eyes in astonishment and recognition. 

"Kaoru?!! You're the girl that drank herself into oblivion?!! Well, I gotta admit, I did _not_ see that one coming!"

"You never do…" replied a scowling Kenshin, tearing a can of tuna out of his friend's hand whilst Kaoru continued to stare laconically.  

"What crawled up your- oh, will you quit giving me dirty looks already! I know I said I wouldn't take long but you know I only did it to get you off my back! And missy, would you stop standing there like a statue and help out, or are you afraid you'll break your nails or something? One favor calls for another favor and, in my opinion, you should be waiting on us on hand and foot after last night! I'm telling ya, you should be glad you bumped into Kenshin when you did; who knows what any other guy would have done! You really are lucky: it's not every giddy girl that falls asleep in a decent guy's jeep! Which reminds me: did Derek call? My car's still at the shop, but it shouldn't be long before it's cruising on the freeway again, at least not if I get a hold of Derek!"

Kaoru felt the room's temperature flare up and she knew her cheeks had caught fire. This was too embarrassing to be true: the guy she had so single-mindedly accused of as horrible a deed as taking advantage of a young girl was in fact the very one that had saved her from any such situation! 

And so, she had made a fool of herself and insulted his pride and spat on his good intentions. 

_"Being invisible would feel just dandy right about now!"_

Moving mechanically and blushing madly from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes, Kaoru joined the two men and helped them with their task of unpacking goods.

Sanosuke, bored from 'doing the housewife bit' as he put it, walked off to the living area and left them to handle the mess in the kitchen.

Hesitantly, her fingers grazed Kenshin's; he would not look at her and she had to do _something about it: how else would she be able to apologize?_

Startled by her sudden forwardness and gentleness, Kenshin looked up:

"I just wanted to say that I'm-" she started.

"I should probably go put some clothes on." he interrupted.

At that moment Sano jogged back into the kitchen.

"There's nothing to watch on T.V.; Chinese Checkers anyone?"

Without meeting her eyes Kaoru's hero paced out of the room leaving her crestfallen: wrong things would be said; generally she would be to blame. Story of her life…

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_Reviewer Responses: _

**To Fangirl: **Uh… *Iram hides behind giant sweatdrop* I guess I should say I am REALLY sorry because, well… you took the 'coming soon' thing literally and, this update didn't happen as soon as I expected… Again, so sorry, and I hope that doesn't discourage you from keeping up with this story considering how much I enjoyed reading your review! ^_^

         **To missaw: **Thanx for the compliment. Well here is another update, _relatively soon…_

         **To kouri: **Thanks heaps for the encouragement; I'm glad you liked it!

**To Shiomei: **I'm on your favorite authors list??? Wow, that is wonderful! Thank you so much!!! *bows low* I am pleased that you found this humble writer's story to your liking and it would make me very happy to see you reviewing often! As you can see, Kenshin did take Kaoru to his apartment and their conscious encounter there was… fairly interesting. I hope you liked this chappie. I certainly felt compelled to write after taking a glimpse of your cheery review! ^_^

**To Rhapsody07:** Your one on one reviews were truly appreciated. Thank you for the flattery: you really turned me crimson there! As for the dreams, believe me, I am the QUEEN of weird dreams!!! @_@ If you thought your titanic experience was weird, imagine being caught in a dream where a giant wave splashes at you out of nowhere and all the flying contraptions in the world are blocking the sun! I'm glad you like Sano and I hope his participation in this chapter was of your liking: he continues to be the same adorable weirdo, doesn't he? *grins broadly* Once again, immense gratitude goes out from me to you for your uplifting reviews, they help to keep me writing!

**To Bunny / Sailor Moon: **Thank you for taking the time to review. So… what about now? Still interested? Me hopes so!!! ^_~ 

**To Ocean Fish: ***Eyes widen and sparkle* Shiny red sticker!!! Mine!!! Mine!!! 'Display of Passion' that had me blushing and giggling like the silly little schoolgirl that I am! I think, although I don't know much about your story or where you plan to take the characters that it, as far as I can see, can develop into something very interesting. Do not be discouraged by the lack of initial enthusiasm from the reader's part. If you want to write, keep on writing, keep on building up a story: soon enough you will be blown away by the response you will get. Take me for instance: three reviews per chapter as an average and then I uploaded chapter 5 and, suddenly, an amazing amount of reviews piled in. Just believe in yourself and the rest will come…

**To A.R. Frederik: **Well, the first version of chapter 5 diverges from the one uploaded on the site in many ways. The situations were the same; the way they were told is another story in itself. I wanted to create something of substance, something that I realized upon writing was very hard to accomplish when talking about, of all things, a 'frat party'. I decided that description would have to set the tone for the 'silly plot' to enhance it and, as you said, give it character. I had to balance comedy with seriousness, and that took a while and a lot of trees… Rhyming: yes, it was every bit as intentional as it sounded. Umh… I do that a lot when I talk regularly; it sounds pretty funny and usually people (myself included) end up laughing, but it's just a thing I do. Like for instance, when I use the line 'in a swirling cup': I think I'm one of those persons slightly tuned in to their subconscious 24/7. As always, I am honored by the kindness and sincerity that you display on your reviews. So, what do you think about me now that you're getting to know me? Hehehe. Till next chapter.

Okay kiddies, this is it for chapter 6. I hope you all enjoyed this silly little piece and that reviews will keep piling in from all of you. So, for now, up, up and away I go!  


	7. Kaoru's take on Murphy's Law aka the rul...

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: *Sigh*… this is getting old… No, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, no I'm not profiting monetarily from writing this, no, no and no!!! To live in constant denial…_

**Quick little message from author: Hidy ho!At long last, the moment you have all been waiting for is finally here!!! Just kidding… this is just an update. Not much happening in this chapter except for my attempt at comedy: you guys be the judge of that. I don't know if I'll get any of you laughing, but I decided to experiment a little. I had a bit of trouble ending the chapter because, although I know where the characters are going, the in between parts can be a real pain in several areas of my body, similar to what probably the opposite of anaesthetized maiming feels like… though I seriously doubt that maiming of the anaesthetized kind is pleasant. Anyhow, this was just a public server announcement brought to you by- whatever; just read! Oh! Also, due credit goes out to the lovely **Rhapsody07**, from whom I took the liberty of stealing the following words in reference to Kaoru: "opinionated spunk". Thank you very much Rhapsody-chan!**

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**Chapter 7: Kaoru's take on Murphy's Law a.k.a the rules of the game.**

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"Your move."

"..."

"It's Chinese Checkers, not chess; would ya make your move already?!!"

The only answer Sanosuke received was a sharp intake of breath, but stillness continued to characterize the pawns on the star-shaped board.

"I take it something's on your mind?"

"That would be the understatement of the millennium! Don't you think that after what I did it's only natural for me to have some _things_ on my mind?"

"Well, if I were you I wouldn't worry that much."

"Of course: the difference between you and me is that I have common sense and a fully functional superego capable of distinguishing right from wrong!"

"That you have an over-inflated ego, I'll buy…"

"You never took psychology 01, did you?"

"Listen: you're out here, worrying yourself to the bone and my guess is that he's probably in there, skillfully finding a way to blame himself for your misinterpretation of his good will. 

Oh, and, if you're dating Megumi, you _have_ to keep your superego in check: that woman can see wrong in anything, which drives me up the wall most of the time: yes, the fox will be the death of me…"

"What? And just exactly which part of your little speech was supposed to make me feel better?!"

"Making you feel better wasn't my intention; proving why you shouldn't worry was the actual point. Now, can we please get our heads back in the game?"

"Back in the game?! I woke up completely off my game! Playing from Scrabble to Jenga is pretty hard when you're practically seeing double and coping with a mind-splitting headache! Besides; how can I concentrate? Your friend should be angry at me, not at himself!"

"Obviously you don't know Kenshin…"

"No shit Sherlock! None of this would be happening if I knew him!"

"For some reason, I didn't picture you as the kind of girl that swears…"

"Well, I'm in a foul mood here and I have every reason to express my frustration through- I don't owe you any explanations!"

"You know, it's exactly _that_ kind of attitude that created this whole mess to begin with…"

The hot air balloon deflated and Kaoru couldn't shake off, more than a feeling, the knowledge that he was… right.

Sagara Sanosuke was right yet again and Kamiya Kaoru was parked in a parallel universe, not for the first time in oh-so-many days; could things possibly get any weirder?

"You're… right. It was my recklessness that put is in this situation; that and my overly zealous mouth! I guess I should control my temper and not be so quick to judge, ne?"

Correction: it is only after one of the most tempestuous and stubborn persons on the face of the planet admits their wrongdoings and gives due credit to he who least expects it that _nothing_ could top off the freaky-factor, not by a long shot anyway…

And then, like magic, Murphy's Law gained corporeal shape and a nasal voice. It was with an innate elegance and the airs of a princess that one of the most beautiful women Kaoru had ever seen haughtily pranced into the loft, at the ready to give the owner of the red marbles a piece of her mind, and then some.

Wearing a light birch colored cardigan and salt-stained jeans, the cinnamon eyed beauty seemed, more than a little irritated, outright furious. Her satiny dark hair settled itself neatly over her shoulders, down to the small of her back and, if the tight line her thin cherry lips were drawn into was any indication, Sano was really in for it!

"**JUST WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING TO OUR BABY?!!"******

Kaoru's eyes bulged halfway out of her sockets, her pupils dilated and contracted at incalculable speed and she literally heard her jaw connect with the floor.

Sanosuke and this gorgeous woman were an _item? Sanosuke and this knockout of a woman had a __child together?!  Sanosuke was __responsible for another living, breathing human being?!! _

Introducing the long shot…   

For the young high school senior, the most disturbing part in this whole pantomime was how… bored and unresponsive her game board adversary acted.

Here was the mother of their child, complaining about his lack of affection for their baby, blaming him for the infant suddenly taking ill, and all he could do was… yawn and roll his eyes? Had he no heart?!! Sure, she had taken him for the carefree type, but never had she deemed it possible for him to be such a ruthless monster!

How could he accept such criticism regarding the care that he bestowed upon his very own flesh and blood with such… ambivalence?!! Was he really responsible for the babe's poor condition? And if so, why wasn't the mother pressing charges? Was she missing something here? 

"How could you do that to Max?!! Are you really that much of a moron?!! One night Sano, I leave him with you for one night and already our poor baby is suffering the consequences!!!"

"Listen babe, don't blame me; by the time any strange stuff happened I was already passed out, otherwise I would remember!"

"Passed out?!! Is _that_ supposed to make things better?!! Let me get this straight: you were unconscious while your blockhead fraternity buddies toyed with OUR BABY??? If before I thought you an idiot, you have just landed yourself into an exclusive category of asininity reserved only for those brainless enough to trip over their own feet!!!"

"Hey! That only happened once, and, in my defense, I was _dead on my feet! Besides, it's not like I __let them mess around with Max; I just wasn't __aware of them doing anything out of the norm with __our baby."_

"Don't you dare take that tone with me Sagara Sanosuke! You did a terrible thing and I rue the day that we ever decided to have Max!!!"

"Well, keep ruing then 'cause I never agreed to anything, you just showed up at my doorstep with the runt! You never asked me if I wanted him; you manipulated me into keeping him!" 

By this point, the female effigy of stunning magnificence looked about ready to either faint, either pounce on her insensitive boyfriend full force.

 As her skin mutated from a creamy china doll shimmer into every color of the rainbow and finally settled on remaining a bloody beet red, her impressive good looks faded, her every feature marred by a dark menacing scowl, and in its stead raw anger cast shadows over her face: it was truly a wonder how, confronted with this frightening sight, Sano did not waver and continued to be as obstinate as ever! 

"How dare you Sano!!! How can you say such a horrible thing! How can you act so-"

"What's all the racket about guys?" a third voice questioned calmly.

Kaoru grimaced and shut her eyes, unwilling to witness how Kenshin would be shred to pieces and then hungrily devoured for interrupting this heated lovers' spat.

She was not usually the kind of person to cower under someone's stare, but she had to admit that the display of fiery tempers that these two individuals exhibited when together in a room was bloodcurdling, spine-chilling and intimidating. It would take someone really dense to willingly get caught in the middle of this…

"Kenshin stay out of this!!!"  Sanosuke's voice bounced back from every corner of the apartment angrily.

"Oh Kenny, I'm so glad you're here! You would never believe what that good-for-nothing friend of yours did to Max! And- to top it off- now he claims he doesn't even want him! 

Living with such a wonderful man as yourself, how can he not walk in your footsteps or at least pick up a thing or two from your brilliant example!" she exclaimed, possessively latching on to a flustered Kenshin's arm.

"It's a freaking poodle Megumi! What the hell am I supposed to do with a poodle?!! And will ya quit hogging onto Kenshin; he's my best friend and you're my girlfriend which makes this whole situation seem a little indecent! I mean, there's even a person in this room that you don't even know and this is the first impression that she will forever have of you, of _us!"_

"As far as I'm concerned, there can be no _us _if you can't handle yourself like a decent man! I'm not the one being indecent; I'm not the one who got poor Max drunk, I'm not the one who left him… bald! I'm not the one who caused him eternal psychological trauma! Tell him Kenny!!! Tell him what a horrible man he is for behaving that way!!!"

"Well… umh… Sano… it seems that Megumi… umh… she…umh…" Kenshin faltered, unsure of what he could say to appease his friends and get Megumi off of him. 

"Kenshin stay out of this!!! We already know that the fox here is gonna trick you into siding with her so don't you even open your mouth to emit a squeak!" the taller man hollered.

"Lash out and threaten your best friend won't you? You always have to be so barbaric about everything! Makes one wonder why I've stuck by you for so long! I could do so much better than you Sanosuke; I could have someone like Kenshin!"

Meanwhile, Kaoru sat in her chair, pressing her hands against her ears in a desperate attempt to block out the supersonic sounds of the insults randomly getting tossed around. 

Here she was in a stranger's apartment, hung over, with a couple at each other's throats, fighting over what she initially thought was childcare but turned out to be '_dog_care', while the woman called Megumi tried to use a timid acquaintance as her wild card: how did she get herself into this?  And could they stop being so loud? After all, she _was hung over and they were doing nothing to help her soothe her pounding head which was currently on the verge of explosion with a blaring 'boom' and everything! _

Also, what was up with the 'fox' attaching herself to the smaller man as if she were just another one of his body parts? That was _her rescuer, not the other way around! Sure, maybe she hadn't gotten up to thanking him yet after being so rude, but still, she already had a boyfriend, she had no right to take away- hunh? What was going on? Kaoru barely knew the man and, as a result of that, she had accused him of being a pervert and taking advantage of her a full 20 minutes earlier; when had things taken such a drastic turn for the- was it worse or better?_

"…you nitwitted rooster head!"

"Maybe if you weren't such a sly, deceitful little fox none of this would be happening!"

"Guys…" ever the referee to Sano and Megumi's jousts, Kenshin lamely attempted to break it up.

"Oh, I highly doubt that! With a deficient like you, something would always manage to be in the way!"

"Guys, you both know that this won't get you anywhere-"

"Deficient?!! **Deficient?!! You really think highly of yourself, don't ya?!! Well, even a _deficient_ like me would know not to pick out a _poodle_ when choosing a pet for both a girl _and _a guy!!!"**

"Now, now: there's no need to get all heated up over no-"

"Perhaps if you had conceded to go to the pet shop with me we could have made the choice together, but nooooo! You had a game to watch on TV, remember?!!" 

"Megumi, that doesn't sound fa-"

"Well, we could have gone to the pet shop the next day but, of course, the princess here wanted to go right away and she couldn't, for the life of her, be a little patient so we could do that _together_."

"Now Sano, calling Megumi names won't-"

"You're one to talk!"

"Oh, come off it Megumi!"

"No, you come off it!"

"No, you-"

"**SHUT UP!!!" **

Everyone's heads bolted towards the enraged fourth voice that had abruptly joined their cacophony- well, that is everyone except Sano, who was too busy struggling against a Chinese Checkers board that had _mysteriously landed in his mouth. _

"I don't know any of you people, but from what I can gather you _seriously have issues! _

Sano: that's no way to treat a lady! Megumi-that's your name, right?- your boyfriend is right _here_ so, would you mind unhanding Kenshin?!! And Kenshin: what were you doing letting Megumi curl up against you like that?!! I have a headache and you people aren't helping any! Also… a_ poodle_? I would have to agree with Sano! God, this is so weird: _I am agreeing with __Sanosuke! Mind you, I don't approve of animal testing or any form of animal torture… You know what? This day is just too weird for me; you people are just too weird for me!!!" Kaoru vociferated, no longer able to stand in the sidelines, by far too annoyed with their senseless bickering… and Megumi's improper behavior concerning her boyfriend's best friend._

"Says the girl who threw up all over Kenny's shoes last night!" breezed in the catty comeback, courtesy of one crabby Takani Megumi.

Well, it was definitive: anything that can go wrong will go wrong + anything that can get weirder will get weirder = Murphy and Kaoru's Law, all meshed disastrously into one. 

Glued to her spot and gaping in shock, she experienced just how powerful this daily combo could, at times, prove to be- and just when she was feeling superior to everyone in the room too! What a fantastic way to get rammed off a self-made pedestal and get knocked down three or four pegs simultaneously! 

"Oh, you didn't know? My apologies. Then again, Kenny here is such a sweet man that he probably didn't have the heart to tell you; I should have known as much…" Megumi continued to denigrate, saccharine and any other chemical component faking sugary sweetness coating her voice.

Kaoru glared and decided immediately that there was something about this Megumi girl that she didn't particularly take kindly to. After aiming pointy objects at her with but the power of her mind and her mirrors to a very cross soul, she resumed her sulking and came to the conclusion that she would never again be able to look Kenshin in the eye, not after puking all over his shoes!

"Wow missy! I have to say: not even _I _have ever managed to screw up as badly as you! I mean, you even heaved all over Kenshin's Dockers's? That which takes the cake my friend…" the brunet declared, breaking out into spurts of laughter soon after his humorous deposition. 

The question was: how small and insignificant can a person actually feel? How tiny a frame can a person wish it possible to shrink into?

 A squirrel-sized Kaoru? No, too big. A mouse sized Kaoru? Nope, still too big. An ant-sized Kaoru? Not small enough. What was smaller than an ant? An atom? How about becoming just ONE subatomic particle of Kaoru? Even then, she would still feel too large for this room.

 Ah, to pull a Houdini… How good that would feel! 

"I'm… I'm sorry Kenshin. I'm sorry for… retching over your shoes, for not… for not being as nice as I should have been, for… for… falsely accusing you of… of… do I have to say it again? It was pretty embarrassing the first time around! I'm just… this is hard… I didn't mean to be so rude or mean or judgmental or… I could go on and on…" she quavered her thousands of apologies and regrets, willing the floor to suck her in.

"It's okay: you were just a bit confused, that's all. I suggest that we put this behind us, deal?" Kenshin's smooth voice sounded out, his open palm stretched towards her in a friendly gesture of possible reconciliation.

The short girl stared at the lines, marks and patterns on his hand, at the calloused skin, at the long thin fingers: 

"_Let's see… that's a life line with three clear ramifications, a pretty long heart line with plenty of so-called 'ovals' and, finally, a head line that crosses the entire palm. __Now, as for that weird line below the Jupiter mount…"_

When Kenshin awkwardly cleared his throat, she realized that she had been so entranced by examining his hand that she had forgotten to keep up with why he had held it out to her in the first place. Spacing out, always spacing out…

Now, Kaoru should have just accepted the peace treaty amiably- emphasis on the word 'should'- but, that would have been very unlike her. 

Here she stood, metamorphosed overnight into an immature, prejudiced, bad-mannered, cheeky shrew and the guy she had scornfully stomped all over was… happily and easily forgiving her?!! What was wrong with this picture? Was this boy some sort of masochist? Did he let everyone kick him around like that? Well, that most certainly wouldn't do!

"Why are you forgiving me so easily?" she demanded to know, left eyebrow twitching madly.

"Hunh?!!" he blinked, taken aback by her entirely unexpected reaction. She was just full of surprises, wasn't she?

"I said: why would you choose to forgive me without bothering to make me grovel a little or, at the very least, earn it?"

"Well… I guess… umh… because you were confused… you didn't mean all those things you said and, when you were drunk, you weren't in control of yourself." he answered, satisfied with his honest response.

"You don't know that! You don't know me! You don't know if I'm just… a big meanie or something and- I don't  know- go around thinking bad things about people… and stuff! The point is: are you this lenient with everyone? You can't do that! You can't let people push you around like that! You can't let them think that you're just one big dope because you're kind! You have to be tougher than that or else everyone will take advantage of you!"

One sub-atomic particle of Kaoru had just growth spurted into the Oprah-soapbox version of opinionated spunk incarnated. The fearless, stubbornly unyielding Kamiya was back with a vengeance… or more like a new and improved self-help guide. 

As for Kenshin: 

"…Oro?" 

Nothing but net! If the expression is multifunctional and fits, use it.

"Does he always let people off the hook this easily?!!" the unbelieving female questioned, addressing the other two people present in the room.

With a mixture of embarrassment and sympathy for their friend and wearing patronizing masks of resignation, they both wasted no time in nodding their assent.

Heaving an exasperated sigh and shaking her head in mock denial, Kaoru grasped on to the long ago proffered extremity:

"Kenshin, clearly you have a _lot_ to learn. I know life doesn't come with directions, instructions, or perfectly set out rules, but obviously we have a long, hard road ahead of us. Now: what I'm I gonna do with you?"

Sano chuckled. Megumi had to hide her smile behind one dainty hand. Kaoru continued to roll her head from side to side in disapproval and as for Kenshin… Kenshin continued to ask himself over and over just _what_ exactly had he done in a past life to deserve this!

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_Reviewer Responses:_

**To Fangirl: **I'm glad you noticed that I was trying to make a comparison of Kaoru and Kenshin's first encounter in the previous chapter!!! That and your entire review made me happy! As for the Kenshin-cookie bribe? I think that you're going to have to try that on both my muse and my university teachers: they're the ones in charge! Whether I update fast or not is really up to them, sadly *sniff sniff*. I hope you liked this chappie!

         **To pensquared: **I hope this chapter wasn't too hard on your neurons as well! Thanks for the review!

**To Rhaphsody07: **Kaoru= opinionated spunk! Did you see where I used that line of yours in my story??? Is that enough for you to realize just how inspiring and helpful your reviews can be for this humble writer? ^_~ Just for you, more Sano weirdness in this chapter!!! Yey!!! Thanks for the review, it really helped me, especially to write the closing of this chapter: I needed a reminder of just how loud-mouthed and true to her self Kaoru can be!

**To kouri:** Yes, Kaoru was harsh and now she paid the prize… sort of, anyway. I'm glad you reviewed; I like your story a lot so, for me, it's an honor to hear that _you like __my story! As for clearing up the misunderstanding, I think they managed to move on past it: picking on Kenshin's goody-two-shoed-ness will do just that! I hope to see more reviews from you! Bye!!! ^_^_

**To missaw:** I updated!!! Although, not as soon as you wanted me too… *shivers* I wonder; could it be that death threats will start piling in soon? Be afraid, be very afraid! @_@ Yes, I am also quite pleased with writing about Kenshin in nothing but a towel: every fangirl's dream come true, ne? hahah. Thankies for the review!!! Till next chapter!

**To Billabong Bob:** continued…

**To Ocean Fish:** That's right… I am EVIL!!! Bwahahahaha!!! Umh… pardon my ignorance, but: what's a binder? I'm sorry! I really don't know!!! I'm just not that good with computers is all! Although, I have to say, whatever it is, it sounds like a good thing, something I should profusely be thanking you for before even knowing what a binder actually is! As for your promises of updating your story… those have officially become jokes! Do update soon!!! I REALLY want to find out what happens next with the piano people! Okay, so I make my characters suffer a little- you know you like it! And before I forget *bows low, low, lower… falls flat on face* thank you, thank you, thank you. You are, by far, one of my most faithful reviewers and I honestly don't know what I'd do without you! So… thank you, thank, thank you!!!  

Well people, do forget do, forget re, but never EVER forget to review ME!!! Seriously, any comments, any suggestion, anything is immensely appreciated! You are all amazing! Thanks for liking my ficcie!!!

Now… "_I'm off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz…"_


	8. On friendship, hidden talents and speedi...

_STANDARD DICLAIMERS APPLY: Well, there's a lot of "disclaiming" to be done with this chapter so, basically, I don't own RK and I do not own any authors I make reference to or their brilliant literary work. I can't remember, but if I mention any song, I don't own that either and as far as Cinnabons go… I'd be rich wouldn't I? Sadly, I'm not so a simple syllogism will, I'm sure, solve that enigma. _

**Quick little message from author: Long time no update, hunh? Well people, put down all sharp objects because this is an extra long chapter coming your way! I'm sorry for the delay, but blame teachers and life in general for keeping me busy, busy, busy and on to dizzy! @_@  I'd appreciate any reviews, constructive criticism, ideas, opinions, random thoughts- anything is good for me! **

ALSO, there's a little challenge out there, for anyone who feels up to it The lovely **Fangirl suggested that someone draw a fanart of Sano with a Chinese Checkers board rammed in his mouth. So, anyone up for it? It does sound like a really fun idea!**

Now I'll quit stalling, say I'm sorry one more time, and… it's on with the show!****

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_Italics represent Kaoru's thoughts, by the by…_

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**Chapter 8: Of friendship, hidden talents and speeding cars.**

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A window: an opening constructed in a classroom wall to admit light and air into the enclosure; a large aperture framed and spanned with glass upon an upright structure of white plaster, intent on allowing golden sunbeams and light breezes to filter into the room carelessly.

1. A window of opportunity. 2. A window of vulnerability. 3. A one-hour window to put oneself to shame. 

A desk: an open-front table with solid steel legs and a sturdy, laminated, maple flat top for writing; a first-necessity article of furniture in buildings housing any type of educational institution. 

A desk's surface to lean one's elbows against- elbows connecting forearms to hands with perfectly manicured nails, to a face supported by cradling palms in an effort to avoid letting a head droop down in misery. 

A desk to avoid resting one's head open, for fear of succumbing to beddy-byes and blanket drills, intolerable dreams recounting embarrassing past experiences and, lastly, nagging teachers. 

A chair:  a piece of furniture consisting of firm and uncomfortable cranberry-hued plastic seat and back, plus nickel-plated steel legs designed to accommodate one person; a seat rarely ergonomically produced, yet solely intended for the purpose of 'commodiously' harboring an individual. 

A chair. A chair to sulk in. A chair to continuously sigh in. A chair to prevent oneself from dramatically lying on the floor, depressively playing dead.     

A notebook: a blue, hardcover, small spiral book of blank pages for taking notes. Said notes should be related to the message scrawled all over the blackboard and the one being transmitted by the adult in black slacks standing at the front of the room, but they are generally more inclined to follow the lines of scribbles and doodles regarding 'what ifs' and 'if wishes', accompanied by the trademark little hearts and name swapping jottings of a typical schoolgirl crushing on a boy.

A girl: a female with braided hair and a sad, faraway gleam in her eyes. Sitting on a red chair by the open window, slightly hunched forwards, she paid no attention to the open notebook atop her desk, and instead conformed herself with tiredly sighing for the zillionth time in less than forty five minutes. 

"Misao, if you dare sigh one more time, I swear that I will not be held responsible for my future actions!" Kaoru admonished grittily from behind her.

Mou! On Sunday Kaoru had awoken with a very painful headache- courtesy of excessive drinking- and all the admissible dosage of aspirin in the world had not rid her of the throbbing migraine. 

When she got home, the shouting and screaming match that her parents had denominated as a 'rule setting lecture', inevitably followed by a bellowed '_you're grounded for a month!' statement, had not precisely been what the doctor would have prescribed, had she gone in for a check-up in such a  sorry state._

Monday morning had not been very pleasant either: the headachy sensation persisted and worsened as the day slowly unraveled. Misao's thrumming fingers, bubblegum popping, pencil tapping and now, perpetual sighing, were not on the list of well known alternative pain relievers. 

Kaoru, being sure that her head was seconds away from rolling off her shoulders and bouncing around the room, decided to intervene, to stop the annoying rhythmic noise that was inching her towards the edge before she, in turn, involved herself in some sort of evil, perverted deed that she would later regret, like, say… stitching lips together or good old fashioned defenestration. 

Yes, that would be tactically and strategically doable, considering both Misao and her own locations within the compound… And yes, for Makimachi's own good, the sighing had better cease or all hell would be guaranteed to break loose. When one's mind starts plotting murder scenarios on its own, that's when it's time to start walking on eggshells and to…

"QUIT IT WITH THE SIGHING ALREADY!" 

"I can't help it Kaoru! I keep on thinking about what Aoshi said in the car and… I just can't help it! I'm heartbroken and- I feel as if someone had neatly carved a hole in my chest, proceeded to squeeze and squeeze at my heart before ripping it out of it's rightful place and then had smashed it against the ground, stomped on it and, ever the clean-freak, had mopped it up, not even leaving a trace of where it had once stood! So now, there's this gaping hole right through my chest and I don't know what to do!" Misao screeched breathlessly with a mad flourish of her hands. 

"Plastic surgery? That 'gaping hole' could surely be filled up with silicone and, if you took it upon yourself to demand of the surgeons that they make another 'neat incision' on the left side of your chest and have them fill that up with silicone too, you could be as good as new! Actually, better than new, considering how much more 'womanly' you'd have become!" Kaoru reasoned mockingly.

"Sometimes, I wonder about you… I come to you for comfort and all I get is a snide remark: what kind of a friend are you?"

"The type that doesn't abandon her friends to pursue a potential love interest…"

"You still can't get over that one tiny detail, can you?!! Why I ever chose to befriend a Cancer with an ascendant in Scorpio is completely beyond me!"

"This isn't about astrology; it's about me waking up at a stranger's place with memory loss and, unlike the guy from '_Memento_', not having any tattoos all over my body to help me uncover the mystery of the night I lost my head!" Kaoru shot back furiously, her patience in regard to Misao's dilemmawaning considerably.

"Well, I'm sorry that I was too busy basking in my own MISERY to pay atten-"

"Girls, as much as your conversation qualifies for the perfect example of 'pleonasm' incorporated to daily life, this isn't English class: if you wish to continue adding superfluous phrases, words and sentences to_ my exposé on the French revolution, you may do so… outside, in the hallway, or right by the principal's office: does that sound okay?_

If you actually _intend_ to pass my class, then may I suggest you both cut your most entertaining harangue short and lend me your ears instead? Of course, it truly is only a suggestion; after all you don't seem too concerned with results, do you Miss Kamiya?"     

_Mesdames et Messieurs, introducing Professor Norman Rogers, ever the gentleman… _

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Small recap: the _relatively_ cantankerous Kamiya Kaoru and the overtly recalcitrant Makimachi Misao got into another one of their acrimonious arguments and Professor Rogers offered them a one-way ticket to the hallway, lest they pipe down… and just _how_ was that supposed to prove intimidating? As if!

So, naturally, there they both stood; the 'unyielding one' impatiently shuffling her feet whilst the revered 'oh bull-headed-sama' outdid herself in copycatting her favorite male specimen. 

Reconciliation between the two could- of course- take all day but, hinting towards experience and slightly more outgoing natures, one of the gals would cave in soon enough and, as to which one it would be, there were never really any doubts:

"You know, Mars is probably wreaking havoc on your birth planets' regular alignment: I get that. Still, that's no excuse for you to gibe and jeer like some sitcom character! I mean, do you even _realize what I'm going through?!" the green-eyed expellee spoke, choosing to pick up where their teacher had forced them to leave off._

"Misao… I threw up all over a stranger's pair of shoes and accused him of raping me in the morning: if what you're trying to say is that you feel embarrassed, ashamed, humiliated, bashful and all the negatives of the seven dwarves combined, then I believe we're on the same page here." her fellow blue-eyed classmate responded. 

"So, if you empathize, why can't you sympathize?"

"I do! I just… why can't _you_ commiserate for a change? After all, it was my first time in all-out drunken oblivion and we are, somehow, still discussing Aoshi being disappointed in you after 11 am!"

"I… I… I'm sorry for being selfish but, it's just that-"

"But nothing! He doesn't have a right to be 'disappointed in you' as he claims because he has never even taken the time to truly 'know you'! In my opinion you are worrying over nothing- what that glacier of a boy says or thinks is of no consequence!" Kaoru snapped.

"So that's what this was all about?! You weren't upset with me for not giving your problems due notice; you were flipping out precisely because you were concerned for me!"

In spite of the low grumbles, the flushed cheeks showed, and Misao proceeded to beam in delight: Kaoru really was all that! Could anyone ever ask for a better friend?

"No matter how hard to read your astral chart makes your personality, it's good to have a Cancer with a Scorpio rising sign on one's side!"

"Wait a minute: wasn't that you in there complaining about my astral-thingy?" our heroine inquired amiably.

"Nah: I would never EVER do that! _That_ was just my evil twin- don't you EVER listen to her!"

"Misao, stop hugging me: you are squeezing me into non-oxygenation!!!"

And thus, the war was lost and won, all before lunchtime…

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Kaoru stared at her tray, and I mean _really_ stared at it: what was it with cafeteria food that always made it seem so, so… inedible?  The scary part was how the Jell-O kept wiggling, even after the tray had remained untouched and unperturbed by movement of any kind for at least 5 minutes now. 

"Gross!!!" Misao squealed in disgust, repulsed by her own so-called lunch.

If the gelatin- which apparently seemed to have a life of its own- could have scoffed at the girl's outburst, it looked like it would have been capable of such a feat. But, seeing as that wasn't going to actually happen any time soon, it jiggled instead, bringing forth another horrified squeal from Misao's mouth. 

Tentatively poking at the mystery-everything on the shallow receptacle, an unbidden thought came to her mind:

"Hey, this resembles your cooking! Are you sure you didn't sneak back there and help Tae out today?"

Kaoru was about to respond when the multiple comments made by the others sitting at the table stopped her dead in her tracks:

"Stop being nice Misao; Kaoru's cooking doesn't even come close to this!" Danielle yapped.

"Yeah: Kaoru's Jell-O would have probably grown legs by now!" Terry put her two cents in.

"Not to mention that it would be burnt! God only knows how she does it!"  Kaz crowned the iceberg.

And so, with the consecration ceremony at its peak, the Titanic crashed and water filled up its decks.

Milk cartons, plastic spoons, salad and sandwiches flew about meeting their targets head-on, mouth-on and chest-on too. Retaliation was swift to follow and, at some point "FOOD FIGHT!" became a war cry. 

Ducking for cover under a table, Kaoru picked at the spaghetti strings in her hair and crawled through the piles of junk-food in its most literal form, reduced to merely junk and waste by fed up students… that, and angry individuals with zero culinary skills.

It was while she was traipsing from table to table, desperately avoiding yucky mud pies and soggy, greasy French fries that she bumped into a familiar someone, also seeking refuge from the lunch fiasco turned fiesta:

"Oh, hi Patrick!" she exclaimed cheerily, palms already sweating nervously. What luck to bump into him now! 

She hazily remembered encountering him at the party: he was with his girlfriend, some ridiculous bimbo who had given her the chopped liver treatment… 

Kaoru scrunched up her nose at the memories, forced to relive Beshimi-centered moments of the night and then… pitch blank. She had spent all weekend wracking her brain for information, but temporary amnesia was proving to stay with her longer than she would have liked. 

In fact, looking at Patrick's face right now, she felt that there was something she really ought to remember… but what?    

At that precise moment, something incredibly odd and bizarre occurred: if she didn't know any better, she would have thought that her crush's face blanched, his skin going pale and clammy, right before he slowly stumbled away from her, on hands and knees, like some sort of cornered animal.

What was going on? What was with the panicked look on his face? Was something icky stuck to her own face? On second thought, maybe it wasn't such a good thing, meeting him up in the middle of a food fight…

"Patrick, are you okay? You don't look so good…"

All it took were those words for him to bolt right past her, beneath the table, and out to the surface, point-blank into the eye of the storm: lemon meringue pie connected with his perfectly chiseled, square jaw and he slipped on a banana peel, landing on his back against the cool tile floor, his chin and nose covered in white goo.

The entire chess club erupted in roaring laughter, closely followed by fits of insuppressible wheezing and that strange noise that inhalers make when used: it's not wise to laugh too much or get too exited when one suffers from asthma- even if kicking Mr. Popularity when he was down seemed worth it. Ah yes… a laughingstock was born!

Kaoru peered on in confusion, disconcerted and disappointed by the boy's actions, but she wasn't left with much time to think and ponder over the subject: the principal's voice could already be heard and she took this as her cue to make a silent retreat; she was already in enough trouble as things were, no need to add to the list. 

With that in mind, she tip-toed out of the cafeteria and out of harm's way, or so she thought…

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

"To be, or not to be: that is the question! For I am and I am not… and that's just wrong!"

"Damn straight!"

"Kaoru… would you please stop interrupting me?"

"You're the one who wanted me to stay!"

It was true: Misao had _requested_- from Kaoru's point of view more like begged and pleaded- for her best friend to skip last period and help her rehearse her lines for the upcoming school play.  

At first Kaoru had been reluctant: her academic situation wasn't as good as it could be at the moment, and there were some grades she desperately needed to boost or else she would be doomed to repeat the year- The Year- and go through the whole tormenting ordeal of Senior Year anew.

Then she remembered that all she had was English class, one of the few subjects she was actually more than decent at, and weighing on one hand the prospect of discussing Hemingway, and in the other how little time she would be able to spend just chilling out and relaxing with her friends in the weeks to come, she took the slight opening in what was to be the rest of a boring existence and…cut class. 

Now, sitting on the stage, leaning against an unfinished hand painted background scene with a book open on her lap, Kaoru asked herself just why she had even bothered! 

"A donkey! A donkey! My homeland for a donkey!" the actress-in-the-making stated, all flair and dramatic airs.

"My sanity! My sanity! I'm loosing my sanity!" the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu practitioner articulated in obvious contempt and annoyance.

"Would you stop?!! How am I ever supposed to get my lines right if you keep on being a nuisance?"

"Sorry… Go on, go on; I'll be over here in my little corner of the world, reading up on watts and volts and gravitational pull- don't mind me!" she voiced, concealing her aggravation and apprehension behind a mask of warm summer smiles. 

"Thank you! Now; where was I? Ah yes… 'Why must this happen to me?! I who have always depended on the kindness of strangers! Hand me my robe, slip on my tiara; I have Immortal longings in me.'" 

Kaoru choked on her Cinnabon: was this some kind of sick joke or was she in serious need of a Miracle Ear? _'A Streetcar named Desire'_ meets _'__Antony__ and Cleopatra'; since when was that normal?_

"For the record, I'm not butting in again, or interrupting you. That being said, just out of sheer curiosity: who wrote that script that's in your hand?"

"That creepy guy who always sits by himself and, to the best of my knowledge, is mute. Why do you ask?"

"Which creepy asocial guy? The one who fancies himself to be a communist because he knows who Marx is, or the one who's responsible for half the planet's deforestation? Honestly, that boy writes so much that the least he could do is use recycled paper!"

"The writing one me thinks… again, why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing really…"

"Except…"

"Except that… how in the world is that meant to be an _original work of art?!!"  _

"Here we go! Let the rant begin Miss Kamiya!" Misao spoke in an oh-so-exasperated tone of voice.

"Wouldn't you rant and rave if you found out that the greatest playwrights of all time were being plagiarized in such a horrible manner? Not only does Mr. Writer quote them every comma or exclamation point he can spare, but he actually feels the need to revise and modify their texts! 

This is… this is… it's preposterous, that's what it is! And I'm sorry, but there is no other word that can do this act of – no other word can do justice to this inhuman- I'm struck speechless Misao! 

I mean, this play was actually chosen by someone who deems him or herself an expert in dramaturgy and you and others will passively interpret their roles, the audience will surely clap, your teacher will probably feel fulfilled, the author of this piece of 'toilet literature' will feel smug and smart and Shakespeare will do flip-flops in his grave, crying bloody murder, then just begging mercy!

What kind of a no-brainer mistook this mind teaser for a play?!! Anyone could do better Misao; _I_ could do better, for crying out loud!!!"

"Could you now?" a throaty male voice called out from behind her, sending shivers down her spine. 

Slowly, biting down hard on her lower lip, she spun around, fully aware that she had just put her foot in her mouth. 

"So glad to see that you decided to join us today Miss Kamiya.; even if you aren't a member of the drama club, it is always a pleasure to see students interested in our presentations and teaching methods. Sincerity is always a welcome guest on our stage."

_Groan, groan and -just for the heck of it- another groan…_

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather see it plummet down through the trap door, sir? I'm sure that could be arranged!"

"Actually, I hadn't come about to reading the entire script prior to today and, I must say, however blunt your choice of words Miss Kamiya, I agree with you. I was under the impression that we would end up performing a parody, not a copy-paste blunder, and I already said as much to Mr. Fallon, who apologized profusely and volunteered to rewrite this… mess."

"All's well that ends well, hunh?" 

_Pat yourself on the back Kamiya! Give yourself a firm handshake and a winning smile: you couldn't be more of a dolt if you tried!_

"I'm afraid a happily-ever-after isn't the case. Mr. Fallon was indeed kind enough to make such a proposition, but I wasn't as open to taking him up on his offer as he was eager to make amends. And now, we are confronted with a dilemma: we have to present a play before the summer, but we have no material to work on." the teacher narrated gravely.

"That's a shame…"

"That's were you come in!" he announced with renewed enthusiasm.

"Come again sir?" she asked in bewilderment.

"I was talking with your English teacher during lunch break and I grilled her for the name of any student of hers that she thought was apt enough to take this on. Your name came up, we ended up going over one of your essays and we agreed that she would talk with you today, during her class… I see you decided to skip that part and fate drove you directly to me!"

"Umh… well…. As flattering as all of this sounds, I don't think it's such a good id-"

"Before you say no, I would like to remind you of something you said earlier: you said you could do better. You also called me incompetent, and I think this could be my chance for revendication."

"There's no need for that; I believe in your good judgment sir!" she exclaimed, in a feeble attempt to get out of there as quickly as possible; she and the theater just did not mix! Scratch that- she and school spirit did not mix!

"Perhaps you would also make a good actress? Well, that's okay; I can always swallow my pride, cast aside all of my years at the Actor's Studio and accept Fallon's help as a last resort. Pity your words are just that: words…"

Strike one! If Professor Martin was looking to subtly coerce Kaoru into authoring a script for the end of year theatrical piece, he finally found the Achilles' heel: challenging her integrity was the perfect way to worm under her skin and Misao grinned madly because she knew that victory was already at hand. 

Fate delivered Kaoru right into Mr. Martin's ploy- or was it a weasel of a girl? Misao continued to smile broadly: one image is worth a thousand words…

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_"Pity your words are just that: words…" he says. "Kamiya Kaoru never says things for the sake of saying them!" I say. "Don't say things if you don't mean them, if you have nothing to back them up" he insists. "Words are loaded pistols" Sartre said. "Put your foot where your mouth is" I do; obviously I've learnt nothing!_

_It's the dark walk baby: enjoy the perfectly bad mood while it lasts…_

And it was the pure and simple truth: Kaoru was going through one of those 'I'm having a bad day so get out of my way' moments as she ran down the streets that would lead her home, all because some stupid teachers had suddenly decided she was talented.

What did they know anyway? Just because she could write a fairly acceptable essay on Virginia Woolf did, in no way, imply that she had skills; that dissertation had been mediocre at best and it wasn't her fault if the only aspiring writer in senior year happened to be a lousy one!

_Why, in the name of all that is holy, oh why me?!!_

 If at least they had actually spotted the spark of some budding abilities in her, then it might not seem so much like the end of the world. But the fact that potential had been overlooked and that she had been picked out as 'the next best thing' or more like 'our only, last hope', if choosing her had not been born out of desperation, then maybe she could actually take a deep breath, shake off the jitters and feel… flattered. 

So, that was one of the reasons for her increasing rage; now for the other side of the coin: entrapment. 

That Mr. Martin was- no buts about it- one of the craftiest, most cunning men she had ever encountered in her short life, was stating the more than obvious. To make matters worse, not only had he resorted to psychological manipulation, but she had actually fallen for it! Yes, she was angry at herself for seizing the bait; now she was the fish extracted from the deep blue sea and plopped into some kid's aquarium! How infuriating! How silly of her! How naïve of her! How- mou!

So, for art's sake she had stuck around after class, discussing nonexistent ideas for a play doomed to fail from the start. She had been enrolled in an extracurricular activity associated with the school and that just made her feel dirty inside. 

It was one thing to be a spirited enough person as a general rule and another to prance around devoting said spiritedness to anything remotely school related; it was one thing to be cheerful and another completely different one to be a cheerleader!

Not that Kaoru had anything against the pep-squad per say, but none of what was happening… tickled her pickle?

_Sigh. If I can't come up with a decent analogy in my own head, how in Marlowe's name do they expect me to write a play?_

And that's what it all really boiled down to: not frustration, not petty excuses, not bold principles being flushed down the drain, but rather insecurity.

For, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, no matter how she tried to cover it up with enough spunk to go around and still have reserves at the ready, deep down she was insecure and very much aware of it. 

That was the pressing issue: Kamiya Kaoru had just been forced to face her insecurities and she was none too pleased about it.

It truly wasn't a question of being late to practice, it wasn't that she knew her father would work her to the bone for her tardiness; it wasn't even about being reprimanded for going against her timed-out curfew after only one day of being grounded; at the end of the day all those little things would be of no consequence. 

The problem was that, when all those things went away, her uncertainties regarding herself would still be there, staring her dead on and she would still be the same old Kaoru, never one to turn down a challenge, eternal optimism in her own abilities always available except… except when looking in the mirror. 

There was one enemy that was too tough to confront, one she would gladly avoid if given the chance, and that was herself.

Today, she wasn't given any choices; she had to look herself in the eye and fight and that, that was frustrating, irritating, maddening and scary.

She was scared out of her wits and running seemed like the safest bet to appeasing her mind, at least until she reached the dojo and tired herself out- nothing could better chase away the monster under the bed than a good day's training. 

With that thought in mind, trying to outrun her skin and seemingly be plain old wind, she reached the zebra crossing and made a mad dash for the other side of the road.

That is why she failed to see the pedestrian light changing from a blinking green 'WALK' to a bright tangerine 'DON'T WALK'. 

That is why she failed to notice the red car coming at her full speed. 

All that could be heard was the jarring sound of a shrill cry and screeching tires…

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_Reviewer Responses:_

**To missaw:** Sorry about the not-so-soon part of my update. Okay, I'm also sorry for no Kenshin in this chapter, but I guarantee that there is lots of him to come and soon… Thankies for the review; Kenshin is REALLY drool worthy isn't he? In any shape, form or way… ~_~  Yep, definitely something to think about! ^_~

**To Fangirl: **Sorry your pointed look didn't get us very far, but what do you think about my posting your brilliant idea for a fanart as some sort of challenge? It truly would be a really cool image to see! Thank you so much for your constant reviews and for sticking around with this fic, even if I do seem to take my sweet time between updates. Thanx for caring, it helps to coerce the muse out of her hunger strike state ^_^

**To kouri:** Thank you so much for the incentive!!! Also, sorry about not giving you the other review that I promised for the rest of your fic, it's just that I've been so busy that I haven't been able to move past chapter 15. Oh well, never fear, I soon will be able to read it… or so I think.

**To Rhapsody07:** Kaoru and Kagome are actually two of my favorite characters from the anime world; their strength is something to be admired- that and what they have to put up with from their tormented (yet oh so loveable) significant others. I'm so glad that I managed to make you laugh with that little comedic piece in the last chapter; I just hope that this too was of your liking. Don't worry, I guarantee that K and K interaction is right around the corner. Thanks for the reviews! Till next chapter!

**To EnjuroJoshin:** *blushes madly* Thank you so much for those inspiring words regarding my story!!! I'm sorry that I took so long to update, I really am- you seemed so excited with where all of this was going that I'm sorry I had to cut you short. Well, finally chapter 8! I hope you still continue to appreciate my story, even after this chapter and the weird cliffhanger… Again, thank you, my muse was thrilled and fed me lots of good writing material right after reading your review!

**To Punky1:** Thank you for the compliments. I plan to keep this story up and I hope you plan on continuing to read it too! I know I'm not that consistent when it comes to updating, but I won't leave my work unfinished, that I can promise. One more time, thanx for your cheery words and sorry for the delay!

**To animegirl328:** Don't worry about the cussing, I really don't mind. As for what happened with Aoshi and Misao, I think this chapter gave you a vague idea and I might be going a little more into that later on so stay tuned. Thanks for the review, it helped lots! Till next chapter!!! ^_^

**To Bunny / Sailor Moon: **I'm sorry I made you wait and I hope you liked this new chapter! For the moment it is pretty lighthearted, but I'm afraid it won't always be that way. However, before the angst comes, a loooooot more lightheartedness and cheer awaits our beloved characters so…enjoy! Thanks tons for the sweet review, it made my day!

**To BillabongBob:** I'm just glad my fic is good for a laugh or two! 

**To Ocean Fish:** Yes, a poodle; I'm still wondering about that myself… I really don't know where that insane idea came from! Also, the binder thing: I'm sorry: it figures that it would be me to go about looking for a farfetched definition instead of the obvious regular one! I always seem to be half on earth, half on space and sometimes, that can be kindda confusing *looks about sheepishly*. I really can't believe you have a binder only for my stuff though that is so… wow, I'm actually struck speechless! Thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks!!! I never knew I would find such a faithful reviewer in you and for that I just want to, once again, say thanks: you truly manage to keep me going, even when I feel discouraged! I am forever grateful.

**To ChiisayLammy:** Well, I hope you've read up to this chapter. I just want to thank you for taking the time to review both this and "All I wanted". I'm happy to see that you are enjoying the way I write and I can't wait to hear more from you! Misao is, in my eyes, the eternal optimist, far more so than Kaoru and that is saying a whole lot!

**To A.R Frederik: **Hey! As usual thanks for reviewing, and sorry for the delay in my updates. It's really late and I am tired, and I mean possibly exhausted! I need some caffeine and I need it now, or better yet some sleep. Don't worry, Max will appear later on, hopefully to lighten any dark moods that I whip up. Listen, I'll get back to you in a mail later but right now I just need some well deserved sleep after a veeery loooooong day. As usual, I love hearing what you have to say about my story and your advice is always more than welcome. Bye now!

Wow! I didn't realize just how many people had reviewed for the last chapter until I sat down and typed the "reviewer responses" section! That was quite a good deal of people, I must say! Well, I'm tired; my eyes are drooping and so, it's till we meet again on this bumpy road! Bye gang! I hope you had a nice reading session. If so, or if not, DO review!  


	9. On Heroes and Tombs

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: Here's to stating the obvious: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I'm not gifted enough to have created such a beautiful story, all on my own. _

_  _

**Quick little message from author: For once, the quick little message is actually going to be quick and short. My muse went on a hunger strike, took a holiday, lapsed into a coma- take your pick, there are enough excuses to go around. I'm not in the greatest of moods and anything I say right now will probably be just a waste of both your time and mine so, if you're still interested in this story or have just tuned in, here's an all new chapter. Kaoru and Kenshin reencounter so you can all rejoice, or whatever… Oh, also the title was taken from a famous book by revered author, Ernesto Sábato. And the beat goes own…**

****

**Chapter 9: On heroes and tombs**

**(Sobre heroes y tumbas)**

They say that when you are about to die your whole life flashes before your eyes. Personally, I always thought that was pretty bogus. I mean: a bright light at the end of a tunnel after reliving your entire existence in a matter of seconds? Seriously people! 

That is so 'Unsolved Mysteries', so overly cliché that, were I ever to die and were the 'blinding light at the end of a tunnel' theory to be true, I would ask as my dying wish to have all those rules bent a little, just for me. After all, by that point, I would be a dead girl walking anyway.

If you think about it, why would anyone want to relive their entire life -from fetal position to arthritic self -before letting go of it, unwillingly more often than not? Ridiculous, hunh?

Well, at least it did seem that way until I saw the giant metallic monster too little too late and came to terms with the fact that, at seventeen, I _was a dead girl walking. _

Granted, I think anyone would have been just as shocked had they been in my situation; it's not every day that you sordidly realize 'I'm going to die now', at least not in my experience, but I was still terribly angry at myself when I noticed that, in the grim reaper's face, I had just screamed like a girl. And I had always wanted an honorable, courageous death too… 

Not that I gave death much thought per say; so far I had only experienced the moody side of adolescence but was mercifully spared from suicidal tendencies: to each his own, right? 

Well, there I was like a deer caught in the headlights (spare me from the Alanis Morissette irony of it all!) and all I kept thinking was 'this is it: seventeen years wasted!'. Not very comforting thoughts for someone who was, hopefully, about to reach the gates of heaven, I know, but I couldn't help but wonder that I had left so many things undone, that there were just too many regrets and roads not taken  for me to just up and die. Not like I had a choice in the matter though…

After that occurred to me, I was almost ready to be a good girl and resign myself to my fate (again, not like I had a choice in the matter!). Never mind that my grand total of boyfriends added up to null, that I would never receive a lifetime achievement award, that I had missed out on a Pulitzer, that I had never been graced with the chance to succeed my father as Master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, that I never got to shake hands with Nelson Mandela… when it's time to go, it's time to go and I don't think you are really entitled to much opposition and questioning when Thanatos rears his ugly head and sacrificial sword.

So, bowing my head to the Greek, Hindu, Buddhist, and every other polytheist religion's Gods of Death, I felt quasi prepared to embark on that enigmatic journey that was not marriage, but rather a passing on ceremony. That's when the _quasi_ of it all hit me like a ton of bricks: I found myself staring intently at a chubby, child version of Kamiya Kaoru, favorite yellow taffeta dress and all!

Wow! I really hadn't seen that dress in years; I'd thought mom had given it away or something. It certainly brought back cheerful memories: how could I forget that dress when I used to throw fits every time my mother insisted it was in dire need of a wash? 

How a five year old could feel comfortable in taffeta garbs will always remain a mystery to me but, the point is, I loved that little gown with every fiber of my being and actually broke into inconsolable tears after it was dragged through mud for the first time.

If I could go back in time and talk to my miniature version, the juicy, ever-handy piece of advice that I would give me would be to wipe my eyes dry and blow my nose for the last time because, if I were to have a nervous breakdown every time my clumsiness ruined my clothes, seventeen would be an unreachable milestone.

Then again, I did reach seventeen so, at one point or another, I guess I did stop wailing and going into bouts of hysterics over my unladylike genetic predisposition…

Well, I looked on as mini-me skipped across my house's front lawn chasing a butterfly –how dorky of my former self! -and then: goodness gracious me, my mother came into full view with enough hairspray in her hair to have single-handedly caused the giant hole in the ozone layer! Oh, and that was dad over there, when he still had a moustache! Wow, fashion sense really _did improve over the years: with that sort of understanding it wouldn't be so hard to die content…  _

Suddenly, after gathering me up in her arms, we were all transported to our warm and cozy living room, where mom was prodding me to blow the candles on a giant chocolate birthday cake. 

Hey, I remember that day: that's when I got Snuggly, my faithful teddy bear! Why mom insisted on ramming him into the washing machine on that fateful day, I'll never know… 

Poor Snuggly met his untimely death spinning around in soap bubbles with the whole family's dirty laundry: mom tries her best but, really, she wasn't graced with too many housekeeping qualities herself; it probably runs in our bloodstream.

Ensuing my laments regarding the traumatic loss of Snuggly, it dawned on me that I was looking at yet another familiar version of me, only now I was a bit taller, wearing overalls and sporting braces. Life at 9 wasn't all that it was cracked up to be, not when metal smiles entered the equation; kids can be so cruel sometimes…

 My past self was sitting at a long table, drearily glaring at the contents of a red lunchbox. 

_'I feel your pain kid', I thought to myself. Mom was going through her Martha Stewart phase that year and had not yet accepted that she should only stick to simple meals and that being the perfect housewife was just not meant for her.  _

Suddenly a bouncy little girl with wide eyes and two neat, black plaits slumped down beside the child I had once been:

"Wanna trade?" she asked kindly, offering a tuna sandwich to two bobbing pigtails. 

"Are you sure? It'll cost you!" 

"Don't be silly; when people trade they don't have to pay each other anything!" she answered rolling her eyes at such a nonsensical suggestion.

"I meant that it would cost you your stomach…"

"Oh it can't be that bad!" she said poking her hand into the lunchbox and popping something into her mouth. 

Soon her pale little face turned sickly green and she struggled to swallow down Mrs. Kamiya's best attempts at a healthy lunch for her only child. 

Nine year old Kaoru laughed so much she had to grab at her aching sides.

"On second thought: wanna share?" the seemingly kind munchkin inquired.

"You're funny!" Kaoru exclaimed, taking her half of the sandwich.

Ah yes: Misao, the lifesaver from day one! And that was the beginning of an era; one that had just been drastically drawn short with my demise… See why I didn't want to go through the traumatic 'This is Your Life' experience? I had come to treasure moments like these, moments when it felt great to be alive and safely in  my own skin, moments that were not about to repeat themselves anytime soon; at least not unless the dwindling between having a pulse and being a corpse state were taken into account…

Green light, red light: that was a game we used to play in kindergarten. But right then, in my vision, the flickering colorful bulbs were only part of a profusely decorated hall, adding to the candy canes and silver garlands strewn about the place: Christmas at the Kamiya household was always a multicolored affair, if not psychedelic and splashy.

I could see a gingerbread house, an artificial Christmas tree, mistletoe, red and green candles and so many other things that I began to recite _'I see England, I see France; I see…smoke coming out of the kitchen?'_

Oh yeah… that was the year mom set Christmas dinner on fire and we ended up pigging out at a Tony Roma's; which could easily bring me to Christmas Eve at an Outback, with Chinese takeout, Dominos pizza and then there was that odd year when we actually sat down for a homemade meal… 

In spite of that, I felt that my mother's unorthodox cuisine was something I could grow to miss.

And thus it went on and on and on, this long-lasting cycle of recollection of a life not quite lived to its full potential when, all of a sudden, the flashes started picking up pace and gaining a fiery intensity that scared me. I had never ever felt this way before while I was alive. 

The images spun faster, the edges blurring, the shapes became distorted and contorted, the voices thinning out into a thick unsettling silence, until… Snippets of scenes, of events, of places and of people I was sure I had never seen before flooded my mind and took me completely by surprise. 

Tears, gentle smiles, blood, fireflies, bokkens, clashing steel, tears, soft eyes, wildflowers, tall grass, a musky scent, blue ribbons, amber coals, violet depths and a teardrop, a sole swirling teardrop: there was an urge to shiver, to despairingly cry out loud, to run away from an ancient searing pain that was tearing me apart, that was splitting me in two. There was a name, a word I could not remember but that I kept trying to pronounce over and over again. 

I was petrified, shaken to the core and only one thought kept me from falling apart, only one thought kept increasing my distress; only one incomprehensible thought kept me alive:

_"What if I never see him again?" _

The horror, the confusion and the inexplicable bout of serenity welling up within me was too much to take, to understand. 

Thus, with a sharp intake of breath and that mysterious, unknown adage piercing through my heart and bursting forth, forming against the protuberance of my lips, I tersely whispered my release and resurfaced, blinking my eyes open in mirthful recognition of a violaceous infinity that anchored me to this place, to this life, that had always been. 

And into these mauve heavens I drowned, somehow aware that I was where I was meant to be, that I had survived, that all would be well now, that I was saved and always would be so long as the gleaming perse azure that I sank into and swallowed me whole was around to catch me; there was no doubt in my mind that always it would, without failure. 

How I came to know all of this is beyond what I can gather or guess, but the importance of a life's retrospection was crucial to the acquirement of such knowledge and, consequentially, I was fully awake inside, something clicked deep within. Outside however, was a whole other matter…

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** …She stands with arms stretched out…**

Tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap…

**…Oil painted eyes, blind yet hypnotized…**

Tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap…

**…Those eyes have always left me dry…**

Aaarghh!!! This was simply not working!!! First it had been Alice-in-Chains, then Guns N' Roses, swiftly followed by Metallica, Audioslave, Deftones and now this!  How in the world was he supposed to concentrate?

With the stereo blaring and Sano's friends guffawing and meandering about, not even locking himself in his room had proved a viable solution.  If only he had had more time to study on the weekend! But no; he just had to go to that frat party and play hero of the day, stuck babysitting a drunken girl in the aftermath of wrong choices made. What he would give to take back Saturday night: parts of it at least… 

"How near, how far, how lost they are…"

Gah! Now, to top things off, he was singing along, but he still could not memorize who it was that had designed the Chrysler building… Why did that tune have to be so catchy? First he was drumming his fingers against his desk, then he was distinctly aware that he had subconsciously picked up on the song's lyrics but –alas! –which famous architect designed the Chrysler building? Unnerving silence and a mental blank: this was simply not working.

Attempting to shake the deafening melody out of his head, Kenshin stubbornly glared down at his notebooks and read on… and on, and on, and on.  

_"That's right: you and me, we've always been, haven't we?"_

Aw man! He did not need mental flashbacks right now! He did not need to think about all the nonsense she said, about all her soft spoken words that had felt so soothing, about her tantalizing lips, the flowing black velveteen of her hair, the deep quality of her- no, no, no and NO! 

He had just gone over the same line of his notes fifteen times and had assimilated none of it, yet all it took was five minutes in the company of a decidedly strange girl for her every breath and gesture to be permanently engraved in his cognizance… unlike the properties of P.E.X, which he knew was a given on his test sheet. That would be an automatic 5 points off if in the next two hours' time if he didn't manage to grab a hold of himself and focus somehow.   

** I've rendered every line, every contour of a muse's eye…**

Her eyes had been dark, intense; they had bordered on an oily black that had always suffocated him, while simultaneously inspiring awe and worship. In a way, she had been something akin to a muse: her presence alone had made him strive to be better, to get out of the hole he had buried himself in. 

He had been so keen on impressing her, on impressing himself; he had so badly wanted to grow into someone worthy in her eyes, into as close to an honest, decent man as he could be. He had worked so hard to pick himself off the floor and then, just like that, one day she was… gone. 

Well no, she didn't just disappear but, what was the point of going over that conversation, the one that had ended it all; had he not been good enough to make her stay? Of course he wasn't but, he still hoped, he still hoped that she could see beyond that, beyond everything that happened and take him in, close all exits to the exterior world and allow themselves to drown in one another.

How naïve of him to think for one lousy second that she would sacrifice a dazzling, promising future for his sake. How selfish of him to want that of her. How self-serving of him to still yearn for her eyes.

With an ominous sigh, Kenshin slammed his books shut and stood up. Yep, this was simply not working: he was unable to concentrate and, at any rate, the dramatic rock songs playing were not adrenalin generators but rather endorphin inhibitors; he couldn't deal with this right now- he was in dire need of fresh air or, possibly a cigarette.

After all the nicotine patches and packets of chewing gum that he had sustained, fresh air it was…

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 "_'Absence makes the heart grow fonder': says who? Absence makes the heart grow bitter, colder, desperate and, maybe even complacent; but fonder? No: definitely not fonder."_

These were the thoughts of a wearily distraught Himura Kenshin. With his hands fisted deep into the pockets of his jeans and solely shielded from the chillier turn that the weather was taking by a plain gray jacket that billowed loosely in the wind, he treaded through the packed streets, hoping to find some refuge from the cold creeping into his chest and wringing his insides into new terrains of obliterating pain. 

Why did it always have to be so hard? Why couldn't all of the big bads just go away, chasing after someone who gave a damn? Or, didn't, for that matter. All he was asking for was one tiny, minuscule tether of a break. 

Whatever he got, he deserved; he knew as much. But, hadn't it all been enough? How much more of this was he supposed to take?! Like if any of this was pleasant; like if his life had ever been…

What did a guy have to do to get the sporadic once in a lifetime peace and quiet that every human being rightfully deserved? After all, hell was supposed to come after death, not before and, since he already knew exactly where he was headed when he croaked –which he was most certain did not include a choir of angels singing heavenly hymns and playing the trumpet –couldn't Moira cut him some small, very thin slice of slack while still being 'alive' sortta' speak?

However, even while plowing through his one and every rant regarding the harsh hand fate had dealt him, he knew fully well in the back of his mind that he was undeserving of anything more: the certainty in this random fact of 'Kenshin's conception of life's just rewards' never wavered, despite his thousand fold complaints. 

Misery: that was his just reward; nothing more, nothing less, only desolation in its purest form. And, to a certain extent, he was fine with that.

It was only when days like this - days that threatened to mow him over - unfolded in their sinister supremacy that he craved for analgesics and a chance to forget everything that weighed him down: Atlas was feeling just how heavy his burden could be and it was driving him to the brink of madness.

It wasn't the first time this happened though, and it most undoubtedly would not be the last. He was condemned, he was a marked man and there was no escape. Well, he wasn't really a _marked man_ in the most accurate and faithful definition of said term, but he bore a scar within himself that would never fully heal. Some things would simply not change; no one had the kind of power to turn everything right back around - or time, as a second option…

_"…until you trust yourself."_

Saturday night was truly predestined and foreordained to be engrained and burned into his memory forever, wasn't it? 

He couldn't trust himself though; no one should. What she had said was wrong, a terrible mistake; not one sane person should ever wish to gain his trust or hope that he regained confidence in himself. 

Bad things happened when people got too trusting, too confident; days that turned him inside out and the world upside down were a consequence of such spells of reliance, faith and sure bets. She should never have said that; no one should ever say anything remotely similar to that!

It had pleased him immensely to hear her utter those words though; in hindsight… it still pleased him! It terrified him to no extent, sure, but he couldn't bring himself to endure the blatant terror without experiencing its fair share of… was it joy? He couldn't be sure. All he was certain of was that, ever since that evening, he couldn't get that 'Kaoru' girl out of his head. 

Already when he'd bumped into her on the street, the vision of her - run-of-the-mill boldness and cynicism all around – had lingered throughout the rest of his 'fun-filled day', but after the party…she had suddenly become a 24/7 distraction.

Between juggling thoughts of her, dark eyed muses and the intricacies of indoor plumbing systems, he was running short out of breath, patience and attention combined. 

Kenshin was many things, but he knew that the job of clown or buffoon was better suited for others; at this rate the maneuvering would soon crash down to a freaky halt. 

He had to bring his mind round to other things, other subjects of interest, like, say… golf? Nah; that had never been his sport if it, in fact, could be considered one… 

Perhaps thinking of a Beatles tune would put an end to his mental trifle? Nope; he really wasn't in the mood for happy, upbeat, senseless tunes.  

Food? Who was he, Sano? 

What distraction, what distraction? He needed a distraction, of any kind, any type, any size, any way he could get it:  Kaoru? No, not _that_ distraction!!! 

But wait… yes, now he was hallucinating: maybe his mind was failing him in his recent stresses? Could be quite the possibility as it seemed to be the normal side effect of spending any short amount of time with her…

So now, dilly-dallying down a road - pick any road – a mental projection of her pretty face and carefree little stride – quite different to her drunken swaying – was bound to materialize before him: 'yay' for him ever encountering such disconcerting female specimens!!!

He was seriously beginning to question his sanity now; after all, the perfect holographic reproduction of her walking up the street – more like running – was hauntingly vivid, and the fact that it was gifted with perfect motor coordination struck him as somewhat odd. 

Automatically he closed his eyes, cleared his mind of any thought (the art of meditation had not entirely been lost on him) and he opened them again to find her… still there, only, as of now, she was much closer. 

Okay, so either he had gone complete rampant in a delirious psychotic bout, either she was not actually a figment of his imagination anymore and more than likely real. Great! He was seeking to distance himself from her and just so happed to bump into her: oh well, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Or so the saying went, not like he had ever been very good with colloquial expressions…

Thence Kaoru was on one side of the avenue, soon to breach the distance and make it into his venue. She hadn't even noticed him and he, in spite of the calm front, was proceeding to feel giddy in expectancy of this entirely unexpected encounter. What to expect, what not to expect? Certainly not what he was about to witness…

In a truly Caesar-like move, he saw, he went, he saved the damsel in distress. Like a speeding bullet, he soared through the air, her frightened scream putting him on edge. One minute she was standing motionless, paralysis settled in - the anticipatory phase to getting wheeled over; the next she was safely in his arms, airborne, then rolling to a sprawled stop atop his warm body: he had done everything in his power to get her as far away from the vehicle as possible and to break her fall as gently as was feasible, in light of the circumstances. Now, if she would just open her eyes or talk, he could relax his hold on her and on his own rising fear…

There: she was trying to mumble something, too softly for him to catch, too hushed a whisper for him to make out. Was she praying under her breath? Was she thanking the heavens? Wait a second; the silent words her lips were forming looked an awful lot like… well, he couldn't read lips, but he could discern when someone was mouthing his name. Had she recognized him so quickly, even before squinting her eyes open, back from such a close call to the haven of broad daylight? 

"_Ken… shin…"_

Her ragged susurration was accompanied by the revival of two vibrant ultramarine pools that locked gazes with Kenshin's concerned eyes. 

Letting out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in, he was assuaged upon realizing that safety was hers and consciousness likewise; the last thing he needed was, yet again, an unconscious Kaoru in the space of less than three days since her last comatose stretch!    

"That's good, you recognize me! Are you hurt? Are you wounded?" his erratic gushing of words was inevitable, given the whole of the situation.

"Mou…" was the raspy, monosyllabic 'retort', as she one again allowed her eyes to drift shut.

"Come on Kaoru, don't faint on me! It seems like ever since we've met you've been asleep or unconscious half of the time." 

"Ha… Me, faint? Who do you take me for?" she murmured, not nearly as enthused as she ought to have sounded.

"That's a good girl then! But, you're going to have to convince me otherwise because, if you keep your eyes closed, I'm going to start assuming things." he encouraged her gently.

"Kenshin…" 

"That's right, I'm right here."

"Did you… did you save me?" she asked, slowly blinking her eyes into full-blown awareness.

"We can talk about that later; right now, I need to make sure you're okay." Kenshin articulated whilst steadily prying her from atop him, hauling them both to a sitting position on the concrete floor, just as a small crowd milled about.

"Did you… you jumped in front of that demon on wheels, didn't you?"

"How many fingers am I holding up?" he voiced instead, deciding to blatantly ignore her question.

"Didn't you?" she continued prodding; not even near death experience would make her determination falter.

"How many fingers Kaoru?" he questioned patiently.

"You did; you saved me by risking your own life." she stated meekly.

"The important thing is we're both fine, alive and kicking."

"Thank you."

"There's no need for that. Now, do you think you can stand?" Kenshin asked, as if addressing a small child.

"YOU IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING??? YOU COULD HAVE KILLED YOURSELF! WHO DO YOU TAKE YOURSELF FOR, SUPERMAN? WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND THAT WEIRD HERO COMPLEX OF YOURS??? YOU ARE SUCH A MORON!!! YOU COULD HAVE DIED!" Kaoru hollered at the top of her lungs, delivering one sound punch to Kenshin's shoulder.

"Oro?!!"

From the common masses a hero arose. Through his noble deed a tomb was avoided. One unique girl's opinion would sooner than later provoke a public scandal that was about to rock the town. For a girl who had just gone through a severely traumatizing experience, Kaoru sureknew how to vent… 

_Reviewer Responses:_

**To Fangirl: **I'm assuming that you're already in a sanatorium, what with me taking so long to update and all… Well, that's what happened with Kaoru, Kenshin and a main character almost getting run over; I hope you enjoyed the "drama". Thank you for your continuous support: it means a lot to me.

**To dark-luv-dove: **There is an actual plot in here somewhere… I'm sure that if we look close enough we might trip over it together! @_@   No but, seriously, I do have plans to make this story more than relaxed little pieces of fluff or comedic relief scattered about; this is only the beginning and right now, I'm only giving shape to the characters and dropping subtle hints here and there for the attentive reader to catch on to my evil machinations… Pay close attention to details that might seem really insignificant and you might just guess were I'm heading with this. Thanks miles and miles for the incentive review!

**To EnjeruJoshin:**  Thank you for your energetic response to this fic: it really helped me out in the writing process, believe it or not. I'm glad you like the way I write; actually, I'm flattered and feel like if I got a major ego boost right about now ^_^ I'm not entirely sure if this chapter was in fact fun-filled or exciting but Kenshin's back in the picture… and from the looks of it he stole Superman's cape and went all out heroic on us, something that Kaoru doesn't completely approve of. What can I say? She just isn't your regular Lois Lane or anything… The cinnabon: ice-cream, jell-o and Cinnabons make me a very, very happy girl (must be all that sugar)! 

**To chibi-ken14: **You know, I started off writing this in a really bad mood, but the fact that you say that you're IN love with this story, that really managed to lift my spirits. Thanks for that: I really need that revitalizing, friendly note! ^_^

**To Luli451:** Liked my cliffie, hunh? Believe me, you 'aint seen nothing yet! I could have been veeeeeery evil to Kaoru without killing her off, breaking her legs or making her sweetie keep his distance. Fortunately for you guys, that was just a random thought that I've decided to keep as a possibly good starting point for another fanfic. As for Kenshin making an appearance, I guess this chapter kind of answers your question… ^_^ Thanks for the review!

**To Kaoru Gal:** To your relief Kaoru wasn't hit and I won't be seriously toying with her… yet. But, if I really set my mind to it… there could be a lot of agony for all of our characters. Which reminds me, I should get into that mindset soon enough, otherwise this story is going to drag on forever. Thank you for the support and I hope you continue to read this ficcie and that this chapter did not disappoint.

**To missaw:** Bad Iram indeed! Enjoy the moments while they last because soon enough, Iram won't be too nice to her favorite characters anymore. Although, I am thinking of giving this a happy end; what can I say? In my mind, true love must always triumph over all!

**To Rhapsody07:** Wow, I've never met a jell-o phobic before; that must really… weird? I'm not sure which is the word I should be looking for here! So… did you like this chapter? I know it got kind of angsty sometimes but, there was _some_ comedy to it- or have I completely lost my marbles here? I don't know, I'm not so sure about this chapter. Give me some feedback, kay? Till next chapter!

**To Ocean Fish:** Well, hello pookie to you too! No, seriously, how's my favorite pookie doing? It's been a long while since we've both updated hunh? Well, you are right, last chapter was what could be called a "filler" and I'm sorry to say that this one too. But, in all fairness, these little bridges between important passages of the story are quite necessary, at least if I want to get things right which, believe me I do. I'm just not sure I'm going about this the right way though… Oh well, all writers have doubts at one point or another, it's only natural. In answer to your question, no I have not read either of the manga you suggested: what are they about? If ever I were to actually become useful to society before graduating and decided on a part-time job, I think I wouldn't mind a library job: me and books, we understand each other. Till next time! And, as always, I'm very grateful for your feedback!

Okay readers, this is where I draw the line and decide to give myself a vacation from the keyboard, just for a little while…

 Bye!!!


	10. A Walk through the Park

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: 2 + 2 = 5 and if you put two and two together, you will know Kenshin's not mine!_

**Quick little message from author: By the heavens, it has a plot! Yes people, I did a little recap on all the chapters I have planned and I came to several very interesting conclusions. One of them is that we are in this for the long haul (quite a number of chapters to be written and posted). My other realization made me jump off my seat and squeal for joy: "I found it! I found it! I figured out the plot!"  I apologize for the long overdue posting of this chapter but many things have happened lately, including my father undergoing surgery.**

I know this chapter isn't exactly as long as per usual and it's not as laugh out loud funny as other chapters but, what can I say? Lately I'm in a melancholic mood, doing a whole lot of reassessment and whatnot. This chapter is dedicated to **Ocean Fish**, who suggested the idea for this piece. It fit with my plot and with where I wanted to go so I thought I might as well please one of my reviewers, at the least. 

By the way, I know this message is anything but little and quick and trust me, I'll stop bothering the lot of you in a second, but first I wanted to give a collective shout out to all my reviewers: feedback has been amazing and the amount of reviews I have received is astounding. Thank you all so much! ^_^ Not to worry though, the _Reviewer_ _Responses section will still be found at the bottom of the page, so scroll down after you finish reading this bit of the story._

I had this chapter typed out on my computer but I didn't post because I thought I should add more stuff; I read it today and realized that THIS is it guys: stretching it out would just make it cluttered.

Enjoy!   

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**Chapter 10: A walk through the park**

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"I still stand by what I mentioned earlier: there was no need to yell."

"Well, _excuse me_ for being concerned for your welfare; obviously someone else has to, since you are definitely not going to give thoughts of your own safety the time of day!"

"I wasn't going to die."

"Sure, dying is _never_ a possibility for those who – oh, I don't know – _throw themselves at speeding vehicles, maybe_???"

"I did not _throw_ myself in front of the car; I threw myself at you."

"Gee, _that_ makes me feel so much better…"

"I'm sorry, I'm confused: aren't you glad you're alive?"

"If I recall correctly, I _did_ thank you."

"Was that _before _or _after you caused a commotion right in the middle of the street?"_

"…"

"See? You're fighting with me pointlessly; there is absolutely nothing to argue about. You almost got run down by a car but, fortunately, someone was there to pull you out of the way. It really could have been anyone but, as luck would have it, it turned out to be me, and even that is not worth giving much thought. All that matters is that you came out of a perilous situation alive: be happy and think 'carpe diem'."

"You don't value your life enough!" Kaoru protested for the ten thousandth time that afternoon, giving her rescuer a _very_ pointed look.

Kenshin sighed and resigned himself to the fact that, no matter how hard he tried, changing this girl's mind was like trying to plan a surprise party for Sherlock Holmes: unachievable, senseless and futile. 

"So… are you or aren't you going to want fries with that?" asked an irritated voice exasperated beyond endurance.

And so, as it was with all things that were soon to occur between them, after Kaoru had her fun giving Kenshin a piece of her mind and after Kenshin got tired of 'oroing' and getting lectured in front of a crowd that clapped at their retreating figures, claiming that they had not witnessed 'a performance with such a vivid, realistic portrayal of human interrelations' since the last of summer's romantic comedy releases, they both stepped out of the spotlight for some 'quiet time' to think about recent developments in their lives; namely being a savior and being saved.

And so, as it would become usual in the relationship that they were soon to establish, 'quiet time' would always be many things but quiet, for Kaoru always had too many things to say and her counterpart would always have something, be it soothing or not, to answer back.  In many ways one would always balance out the other.

That is how, balancing each other out - or more like bickering - they had stumbled into a local diner, he insisting she should go see a doctor in case she had sprained anything, she prompting him to leave her alone and think about himself for a change, to consider that he was the one that had crashed down on hard asphalt, whereas she had bounced back atop a cushiony body.  In many ways, one would always seek to recklessly care for the other, without giving their own self the once over.

Scribbling madly into his little notepad, the aforementioned waiter took their orders and headed towards the counter, wary of relaying the information to the kitchen. 

Those two, with their little lover's spat had annoyingly left him waiting for them to place an order a good fifteen minutes; he was trying his best to not loose it and ask the chef to stir spit into the girl's hot cocoa. Too bad he really needed this job…

"Hey Jiro, give me some hot cocoa and green tea for table four, pronto!"

"Sure thing Yahiko!" old man Jiro, in his odd looking disposable chef-hat, responded from behind the counter.

"Hey, have you seen Tsubame?" the young boy with tousled black hair asked.

"Short hair, shy smile, cute dimples, black apron?"

"Like if you didn't know who I was talking about."

"She's out back." Jiro stated, suppressing a grin.

"I'll be right back then." Yahiko spoke, barreling off to meet up with the girl in question.

Jiro headed into the kitchens and began his search for a kettle with a smile on his face; that kid was so obviously crushing on the meek little waitress that it was a wonder he could put two words together every time she was around. Ah, young love!

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"Yuck: ancient, stale donut!" Kaoru complained with a grimace, spitting out a mouthful of the offending ring shaped delicacy.

Wordlessly Kenshin offered her a napkin; embarrassedly Kaoru wiped her mouth and mentally reprimanded herself. Who in their right mind would want to see a girl spew out chewed up doughnuts, or anything else for that matter? Why, oh why couldn't she be normal?!! 

"Maybe we should have eaten at the diner like you suggested." she acquiesced long after the suggestion had been made, nervously wringing her hands in her lap. 

"They didn't sell donuts at the diner." was his simple, brief and pertinent reply. 

Sullenly nodding her head, Kaoru accepted that this was the way Kenshin usually handled himself: calm, concise, composed and thoroughly breviloquent; it made her feel as if Aoshi had grown a second head and she was currently sitting next to it.

Where had the friendly boy she had been chitchatting with less than an hour ago run off to? Most likely she had scared him away with her imposing personality. 

Who was she kidding with the whole 'I'm so confident that whatever you say or do or think has no power over me; I'm the way I am and if you don't like me then you can just keep on walking' attitude? Everyone else around her, apparently. Everyone else but herself. 

"You know, you're right; I was being too picky. Stale donuts: that's what I get for being picky! See? I learnt my lesson: next time, I'll just conform myself and realize that to eat or not to eat a donut is no big deal and not really 'the' question. Some things are more important than a stupid donut, like say, learning to compromise. I guess being an only child does have its minor setbacks…"

"I never said you were too picky and I'm not complaining that we didn't eat at the diner. You worry too much about what other people might think." he asserted, both in his defense as well as hers.

Kaoru's eyes widened in disbelief, but she quickly averted her gaze back to her lap, hopelessly trying to hide the blush that had just pervaded her cheeks. He had just seen right through her; not that her apology hadn't been a dead giveaway, but still… 

One would think that after all her screaming and bantering she had managed to efficiently cover up insecurity and instead project a clear image of self assuredness. Life was not without its fair share of surprises; that was for sure!

Surprises… Kaoru wasn't one for them, especially when they had nothing to do with presents. This gloomy atmosphere surrounding her on a sunny autumn day, outside, sitting on a lovely little bench, at a quaint little park, with a moody little Kenshin was, a little surprising, not to mention eerily disturbing. 

Conclusion: just like the warmth of the sun fought against the chilliness of the breeze at that very moment, she too would have to rebel. So be it then: let the revolution commence!

"Kenshin..." she trailed off, preparing herself for her first attack. 

However, what followed then made all thoughts of the art of war dash out of her mind faster than you can say 'oro'. 

"You know, I was just thinking about that couple sitting over there. They're probably octogenarians, have dealt with all of the problems and hardships life can, in a general scale, offer the regular human, most likely have children and grandchildren, have awoken together in the same bed for the past 50 years or so, and they are, somehow, still sitting there, side by side, holding hands." Kenshin spoke softly.

"Probably. Makes for comforting thoughts, hunh?" his own companion whispered gently, the hint of a smile on her placid face. 

"Actually, I don't know. I just keep wondering… will we ever have that? Will we ever be able to grow into them one day? Will we ever have that beautiful an autumn day so many years from now? Will we be able to make others think along these same lines someday? Will we ever love as much?" 

As puzzled and as touched as she was by his melancholic spiel, she instantly knew the answer. As flustered and as taken aback as she was by the depth of thought he displayed and confided in her – not to mention the fact that he used the term 'we' continuously – there was no hesitation for the girl with bright eyes who had almost lost her life that very same afternoon. 

Whilst the leaves fell from the trees and the sun shined gold all across the planes of her determined face, she instantly knew what she wanted to say, what she wanted him to hear, what she wanted him to believe:

"No, we won't."

Disconcerted, and relatively put down by her unenthusiastic riposte, Kenshin quizzically stared at the figure of her, bathed in cascading sunlight, standing before him with a driven expression splayed across her frown. 

How could someone so beautiful be so certain of future misery? How could one as young and fancy free as herself be so sure that they would not be rewarded with that kind of life? How could someone as sweet – when she wanted to be, anyway – as her be marred by this world's bitter truth? How could this be allowed? More importantly, why was she, all off a sudden, smiling?

"We won't?" he questioned, filled with abrupt dread. He hadn't been expecting another vocalizing the truth to hurt this much…

"No. Obviously, no. Thankfully, no. They are only the example, and everyone knows that when you fight, you fight to surpass, not to be a mediocre equal. No way: we struggle to be better and much more than others, to go beyond their standards. With that in mind, of course we won't have that, we won't be them, we won't have that day and we won't love that much. 

See… that's the thing about complacency, why it's so hard for me to sit back and do as others do, to conform myself with that which others give me. I'm sorry, but I desire much, much more. That's why I believe that we will have much more than that, we will be much more than them – we will be 'us'. 

We will have many beautiful days; we won't stick to the one sunny day, we will crave a thousand more! And, as for love… we will love so much more! We will love in style, in color, in the full of its very meaning. We will live and breathe love. We will be love." 

In this life, one comes to understand that few things rarely make sense, that all can only be taken in stride. Many a time, others who deem themselves wiser than those who dare to pose such disconcerting questions, relay on those that they qualify as 'less knowledgeable' or, in layman's terms, 'ignorant', the scoop and lore that explains how to live life in three easy to follow steps: feel, think, act. In short, the perfectly congruent equilateral triangle of successful living. 

Without meaning to sound like _American Idol_'s very own Simon Cowell or _That 70's Show's  Fez, sometimes, some must beg to differ, to refute all supreme theories; to stand up and fixedly cry out "I disagree!" before shutting the door in the sophists' faces with a heated "Good day!" _

To feel, then think and, correspondingly, act is all nice and dandy, but the heart is much more layered, is so much more than it is given credit for. 

To think that emotions and human behavior can dexterously slide into a regular pattern: therein lies true ignorance! 

Sure, the absolute state of congruent being is a route many attempt to roam, but the road less traveled by makes all the difference in the world. Frost's alternate path provides moments that defy description, retelling and what we, as human beings, have come to regard as logic. 

In this hazy existence of ours, it is natural to come to an understanding: anything rarely makes sense and it is to this law that we must abide. However, there is a constant tug of war, a persistent brainstorming session whose only objective is to reveal some form of reason capable of justifying the chaos and madness that is living without understanding life. 

Through letting go - more often than not a purely subconscious act – magic comes into play: all of these dogmas hammered into us from birth vanish; Pavlov's bell stops ringing and only the true warmth of a soul can be seen. Exposed and stripped down to the bare essentials, to feel outshines the balanced symmetry of the favored polygon, curving the rigidity of straight lines into smoothness and the cyclic infinity of all things coming full circle. 

Sensory override and the strong pull of instinctual who-knows-what left a terrified, breathless china doll chewing on her bottom lip, stark horror clouding her vision as the dispassionate and dully seasonable cascade of bright orange and yellow leaves continued its regular process of 'detach from branch…AND… fall'. 

The old couple, sitting on a wooden bench not too far from the spot our two lead characters occupied, remained entirely unaware of the chain reaction their unassuming presence had triggered.

The old oak, maple and chestnut trees - victims to their deciduous natures- stood tall and unmoving, allowing the years to detach themselves from their arms and crawl at their feet, unenlightened and entirely ignorant of the magnitude and importance of that which had just transpired.

A whole park knew not the pressing role that it had played in the future of two, momentarily speechless, beings. 

A girl frozen in the revelations of her own heart failed to comprehend the significance belied in the manifestation of her spirit.

A boy awed by such unseen openness, optimism and honesty reeled in the afterglow of a turning point that he couldn't quite touch.

The 180º shift had so subtly come to pass, that it would take a season or two before the full effects of the forming sphere blossomed into full view; before two unknown, unpronounced lovers admitted to this sudden occurrence. 

In the meantime, denial and feigned ignorance, promoted through sheer will, successfully represented bliss:

"So… that's option A. Option B is… umh… you thinking that I'm some sort of crazy person who goes around giving passionate speeches because her nose has spent way too much time buried behind Deepak Chopra and Khalil Gibran books, which isn't: a) that far from the truth, and b) something that I could  actually blame you for thinking.

So… yeah… I tend to get a _teensy_ bit carried away when I… when I… do that thing I do, I guess!"

In the back of Kenshin's reeling head, the words registered but their meaning was completely lost to him. That she would apologize for such a heartfelt confession from her part was something he simply could not fathom, especially after he had been the one to initiate the whole 'waxing poetic exchange'. 

He would not deny that she was a little over the top when conveying her beliefs but, all things considered, it was rather something to admire; not everyone was brave enough to give themselves away like that, with such candor.

"Is there ever a third option in all of this?"

"Umh… let's just say that middle ground is for balanced people and, as you can see, I don't quite fit in that box of chocolates. I mean, first I'm love – the actual thing - next thing you know, I'll be proclaiming myself an asteroid or something!" 

"An asteroid?! Just out of sheer curiosity: where do you come up with these things?" he inquired good-naturedly.

"Well… I'm not- I don't- I don't even reckon that I'm giving my brain time to process my thoughts before they leave my mouth, so that's not making me any more coherent than I was when I spouted Zen love ideals or when I made a very disconcerting comment regarding my sanity and an asteroid, but the source of this befuddlement and psychotic bout... it's pretty darn clear: when I get nervous I ramble. 

Presently I'm constantly digressing and I'm gushing away like there's no tomorrow, which seems a whole lot like rambling to me, which can only mean that I'm nervous and the only thing I can see for miles that would manage to get me so… so… agitated, jittery and annoyed is you. 

I don't see any caffeine anywhere, I didn't even swallow the first bite of my donut, so this neurosis cannot be made justifiable with the excuse of a sugar rush; hence, you're the one making my screws come loose. 

Hey, guess what _Kenny_? Congratulations! Being around you turns me into a basket-case!" Kaoru prattled in a flurry, stopping short from screaming like a Banshee more out of self respect than anything. 

"What? Why would I make you nervous?" the clueless youth wondered aloud.

An extremely flustered up girl deadpanned: was this guy for real?

"You mean you have no idea whatsoever as to what it is that you do, or rather don't do, or more like do, then suddenly revert to not doing that could stress me out and make me skittish and snappish and solicitous all at once?" she asked, eyes growing wide like saucers, disbelief written all over her face.

"If I'm not entirely wrong, people turn to asking questions when they don't have the answers. I asked a question, so I'm assuming that means I don't know the answer to it…"

"See??? That's what's bothering me! You have these weird mood swings that make it really hard for me to know how to act around you, or handle you, for that matter. 

One minute you're all 'Mr. Knight in shining armor', then you switch gears and end up coming off as witty and cynical, yet calm and approachable, suddenly you become Aoshi's replica - whom I don't know if you've had the pleasure to meet yet, but I assure you, the use of his name is never to be taken lightly or as complimentary – and when I think it's all through, you make this profound observation of life that can only make you come off as endearing and sensitive, if not a tad 'mal-du-siècle' and then you dial back into your 'Mr. Nice guy' routine. 

You make no sense, you're worse than a girl PMSing, you bring me ever so close to hyperventilating and, I swear, that quiet, condescending thin lipped smile of yours can put anyone on edge." she discoursed, with a pointed finger here and a stomped foot there.   

"I think that's the first time that someone complains about my smiling; usually people just prompt and hint that I should do it more often" he replied gently to the lengthy diatribe.

Kaoru sighed and stood up from the bench, gingerly picking up a fallen leaf from the dirty ground. What was it about him?

"They're right: you should." she voiced softly, a watery smile coming to rest itself upon her mouth as she let the leaf slip from her hands and get picked up by the breeze, its destination unknown, course uncertain.

Kenshin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the sun to seep into his bones and protect him from the biting gust of wind whipping his bangs away from his face. What was it about her?

"Come one; take me home Batman." she spoke, causing him to open his eyes, just in time to drink in the exquisite sight of her with the woven threads of silken ebony that were her hair flying wildly about her and her sparkling eyes caught in a sunbeam.

"Lead the way." 

As she began to walk deeper into the wooded park, he realized that the nearest exit lied in the opposite direction, and said as much:

"Wait! We're going the wrong way; the closest exit is behind us!"

"I know. Ever heard of a shortcut?" 

Shrugging his shoulders, knowing he could never win and didn't, in fact, want to, he slipped into a leisurely pace beside her.

The old couple sitting beneath the willow looked on as the youngsters slowly disappeared from sight, remembering a time when they used to be like them: when they had strolled through this very same park, when they had shyly and unassumingly courted each other, when they had wondered if they would be able to remain together forever, if they would ever age happily, blessed with the rise and fall of love's easy breathing. 

Back then, they had been so young, so innocent and so in love; now, they were sluggishly withering away and wise beyond their years. 

They had discovered that love's breathing was, in truth, quite labored and at times heavy and ragged. They had perceived that love's fiery passion waned slightly and faded into a candle's gently flickering flame. 

They had discovered that love was not all that it was cracked up to be: timeless and incapable of aging, it was so much more…

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_Reviewer Responses:_

**To missaw: **So sorry I didn't update sooner, as you and many others requested; November has just been a very hectic month, and will continue to be until mid-December. I don't know if you will be able to qualify this chapter as 'awesome' like last tme, but I'm content with it, if not happy. Thanks again for the continuous feedback; you keep me going strong!

**To Bob-san: **Life's full of surprises isn't it? So, no, Kenshin wasn't the driver (he already has enough guilt to work through without having to worry about almost killing Kaoru). Thanks for the review!

**To EnjeruJoshin:** I was thrilled with your last review! My writing has amazing energy and I manage to make your heart pound when you read? That's all a girl needs to hear to be super duper delighted, not to mention ecstatic! Thank you so much for the encouragement and for taking such pleasure in reading this! Thanks, thanks, thanks… _trails off to infinity…_

**To Rhapsody07: **I'm glad to know that I can still squeeze some laughs out of you. I realize that the tone of this chapter was a bit more serious and, I guess it does seem like I'm stalling but, I want to establish solid grounds for these two characters. Thanks for reviewing and sorry again for taking so long to update – sometimes life gets the better of me!

**To Neko Oni-chan: **And isn't it ironic, don't you think? Sorry about that – the whole taking so long to update, especially just when you decided to review thing – but I have a lot of things going on right now. I suspect that after mid-December things will be a bit calmer. Well, in answer to your question: yes, there's some of my life rant here. The thing is, I have to adapt everything to the situation I'm portraying and to Kaoru's personality, which isn't precisely like mine, so it's not all mine, but hey, where else am I going to get inspiration, if not from myself and the world I know? 

Thank you very much for all those lovely compliments: I can't believe that there are people like you out there, who actually really like this 'thing' that I freely call story. Thank you for believing in my writing abilities and, just so you know, your review was truly inspirational. Indeed. ^_^

**To chibi-ken14: **Me? Annoyed? More like surprised and immensely pleased! I still can't get over the fact that you love this story; to me, it's mind-boggling. I don't know if this will seem like another 'perfect' chapter (your words, not mine), but I quite liked the final product, in this case. Thanks so much for your kind words sweetie and so sorry for the long wait!

**To dark-luv-dove: **Aw… Enough of your blabbering? But I quite like your blabbering! Blabber away, I don't mind! I'm on your favorites??? Wow! That's… unexpected, to tell you the truth. Thanks so much for that and also for reviewing and psyching me up: where would I be without readers like you? I don't even want to think about it. In answer to your question, no I have not read your story yet, but don't worry; I'll gladly get right on it! Bye for now! ^_^

**To Ocean Fish:** Hey pookie! Where have you been? No more updates from my favorite pookie, at least not in a while. Don't worry; that makes two of us. Funny: you see my review response and squeal; I see your review and squeal… we're like the 'I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream' duo! Well let's see: you proposed a walk in the park and, if I'm not mistaken, our two favorite characters are strolling about one of those. You requested something touching to the soul; I don't know how touchy-feely this seemed to you, but for me… let's just say I fear that all my teeth will rot and fall off in a little while.  Walking her home… hmm… I'm not sure if I will get round to narrating that in the next chapter. If not, it will at least be implied that he walked her home. So many choices: so little time… Thankies for the review and I'll talk to you some more some other time, 'kay? Bye-bye pookie! 

**To Venus smurf:** First off, I just have to say that it feels great to have my very first reviewer back! I missed you lots! Your reviews continue to be as long as ever and that makes me, as usual, very happy. Also you have made my over inflated ego soar to new heights with the amazing quality and amount of compliments you keep kindly bestowing upon me; I don't know if getting me all high and mighty is a good thing, but it feels nice, flattering and boosts my self-confidence: all in all, good stuff. Kaoru sprouting horns and singing karaoke? Maybe in an 'Angel' crossover; you never know… hahaha. As for Beshimi's sexuality; believe me, I too put it into question when writing about him. I've decided he's not gay, that he just admires Aoshi in an obsessive sort of way, that does no less to freak people out (not that I have anything against homosexuals; prejudice is so pointless). Funny thing, my stories crack you up; your reviews crack me up! You say the sweetest things, but always laced with such good humor, I can't help but smile and often giggle. Kaoru has probably been crushing on Patrick since pre-school and as for his height, I don't know how to convert it to your system, but it is in fact, as you guessed the metric system that I used. Let's just leave it at 'he's tall' and 'who cares? It's not like he has a chance with Kaoru anyway'. Hahaha. 

Well deary, once again, so happy t have you back on board, so glad that you are enjoying this new fic as well and, till next chappie. Good night!

Well my darlings, this is it. Thank you so much for your unwavering support and I hope that you check out my next update. As for now, good night and good riddance (just kidding guys, you know I love you all, right?). Nighty-night then!!!


	11. Inspiration Found

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg and, to top it off, Rurouni Kenshin is way out of my league and ownership possibilities… And a merry Christmas to you too! _

**Quick little message from author: Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry X-mas everyone! Sorry for the delay, but this chapter actually proved to be a bit of a challenge for me. I'm not exactly sure why, but it was very difficult to write. I am pleased with the final product; in fact, it is one of my favorite chapters. I think it's a very tender, gentle piece. It reveals quite a bit and it promotes progress, all in all, good things. I am still a bit hesitant about it though, as I was with last chapter, but hey! I got a marriage proposal out of my previous update so, who knows what lies ahead? A few questions: can anyone help me out with the mystery that are Kaoru's parent's names at the moment? Also, can anyone guess what Kenshin studies? I did drop in a few hints and clues, here and there.  **

Enjoy everyone.

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**Chapter 11: Inspiration Found**

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It was the very characteristic sound of clacking heels that caught their attention. It was the unusual _humphing, __oomphing and _huffing_ noises that compelled them to edge closer and faster to the source of said cacophony. It was the sight that greeted them upon arrival that drove them to suppress grins and laughter._

There teetered, in a plush periwinkle faux-fur bolero jacket, a short, belted jean dress and matching denim patchwork, knee-high boots with needle-thin heels, an acutely peevish and highly desperate Megumi, in all her ineffectively coercive glory. 

Behind her, sitting proud and pretty, oblivious to his owner's pleas and threats, 15 inches of bone, muscle and abundant fur hunkered down, unresponsive to the persuasive tugging coming from the leather leash painfully yanking at the collar round its neck.

"Max! Max, come on already! MAX!!! Why won't you budge, you stupid mutt?!!" the young pet proprietress did, indeed, whine and scold.

To which the annoyed poodle, with his very dark, oval shaped, intelligent and alert eyes, simply retorted with a glare and a slight shake of his head. Had he been human, this last fact would probably have not gone unnoticed by the young woman and he, in turn, would have, more likely, been "tsk-ing", rather than remaining silent. As things were, though, the situation was easily growing too cloyingly dull and trite. 

That is why, caught in the folds of her own pent up frustration, irritation and aggravation, Megumi failed to see the young couple walking towards her until a familiar voice made their presence known:

"Good afternoon Megumi. I must say, what a lovely coincidence to bump into you today, that it is."  Kenshin greeted as warmly and politely as was his custom.

"Kenny!!! Hey, what are you doing around here? It's such a shame that you don't stroll around the park more often; these chance encounters truly are a treat! That being said, what brings you here? Oh, and I see you've, once again, let the party _animal_ tag along…" the 'kitsune' started off brightly, quickly easing into wry disdainfulness as soon as a shy Kaoru came into her line of sight.

"Well, hello to you too, _Megumi_." Kaoru answered with a raised eyebrow and fisted hands pressed tightly against her sides in an effort to keep the exchange within the realm of the civilized, but entirely unable to prevent herself from pronouncing the offender's name as if it were something dirty and vile.

Kenshin, at once, sensed the tension in the air, surrounding the two women, and failed to see where such animosity could spring from. Clueless as ever, clueless as ever… Men!

However, although the circumstance at hand was admittedly beyond his understanding, he didn't figure why he couldn't possibly try to clear up the air between the two females or, at the very least, try to steer the budding conversation towards neutral ground:

"Megumi, I couldn't help but notice that you are having some… eh… difficulties with your… eh… dog: is there anything I can do to help?"  

Really, he would be more than glad to help her out. Really, he wished he could certify that that fluffy _thing_ was, in fact, a dog. Really, his conciliatory nature knew not of the misrepresented fatality innocently concealed within the catalytic power of such words…

"Well Kenny, as much as I appreciate the offer, I don't really think there is much that you _can_ do. _Fido here simply refuses to move, and poodles are known to be slightly _haughty_, so it looks like the ball is in his court now… and could stay there for a really long time." the hazel-eyed belle purred as her eyes settled on the immobile pooch, whose unwavering stillness unnerved her further, as the tightening of her lips visibly manifested._

"Maybe -and this is only a suggestion-, if you treated the, and I quote, _'stupid mutt' nicer, he would actually listen to you." Kaoru stated flatly, trying as hard as she could not to loose her temper, quickly assessing that if she didn't keep her tongue in check, this would be a total no-go situation. _

"My, aren't we testy! Kenshin, I must say, your taste in women is, most certainly, not improving! Of course, I am happy to see that you are on the road to recovery: after everything you've been through, you deserve someone by your side. However _this_ is not at all what, I'm sure, any of us had in mind! " Megumi exclaimed, holding the shocked teenage girl in derision. 

Flipping a coin derives in either heads or tails; both cannot land sunny side up. Flipping two coins is an entirely different story: by and by, impossibility can come into existence; a bifurcation, yet again. 

Kenshin's cheeks struggled to rival and outmatch the rich coloring of his hair and he found himself caught between denying the wily woman's words, or ignoring them altogether for the sake of accord and threefold amity. 

Kaoru blushed as bright as a tomato and a flush of anger had her steaming as furiously as if she had just popped a string of chili peppers into her mouth. 

The nerve of that woman! She wasn't sure whether her embarrassment should be outweighed by her anger; whether she should strike the hussy or go hide behind that tree over there and recover from such an awkward choice of words!  

This was entirely… This was, simply put… This was absolutely and without shadow of a doubt… This was just… Mou! 

Grumbling and muttering to herself, the spirited adolescent that had almost become a meager casualty of fate that very same afternoon decided to forsake the company of all and any human parties for the rest of her life, finding a four legged mammal to be her ideal scapegoat... or something.

Shaking her head in the hopes that some of the sanity that had, quite obviously, flown out of her cerebrum would perhaps leak right back into it, she ignored the tongue-tied fool and the fox who suffered from a severe case of 'snake's venomous tongue' -and afterwards _she_ was the one that got pegged 'animal': some people should really take a long hard look in the mirror! – and, in as dignified a manner as one who has just been ridiculed can muster, padded towards the impassive puppy:

"Here boy, here! Want a belly rub?" she inquired, kneeling down and patting her knees in a friendly, beckoning gesture. 

_"Yes please!"  _

Thoughts unbidden and mental pictures that he quickly swatted away formed in the young red-haired male's mind -those therapy bills were really going to skyrocket, weren't they?- whilst the tall beaut rolled her eyes in view of Kaoru's assuredly useless antics: if _she, the owner of that stubborn flea bag, could not get it to move, what made her think that she could pull it off?_

Meanwhile, the generally brazen girl continued to coo and blab, encouraging the doggy, who began to wag its tail, then slowly proceeded to paw his way towards her, and finally settled itself on her lap, where it received a free rub between the ears. 

Needless to say that Megumi was aghast and beside herself with displeasure: how _had she managed to subdue that untamable shrew of a dog that was Max? Contrary to the lies she kept feeding Sano -just for the fun of rebuffing the son of a gun who was too full of himself for his own good- that arrogant mongrel had proved to be a nightmare from the get-go. How in the seven hells did that teenybopper manage to make it act affable? Could it be that there was more to her than met the eye? Could it be that Sanosuke, for once in his life, was right and that she was, indeed, what the doctor prescribed? Maybe, just maybe, she would do…_

Kaoru giggled and playfully lobbed Max away when he began licking her with his coarse tongue and Kenshin smiled despite himself, warmed by the picture those two painted. Kamiya Kaoru was… a mystery. And yet, she was as translucent and transparent as spun glass. 

"Megumi, Kenshin: help! Max is trying to chew up my ribbon!" she called out in between fits of laughter.

Glancing over at his best friend's crafty girlfriend, he simpered. Apparently, she was also as forgiving as they come…

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"Agnostic, atheist or deist?"

"Oro?"

"Just humor me, okay? It's not that long a walk, but the silence bugs me a bit."

"Which means we just _have_ to play a round of fifty questions…"

"Actually, I was going for less, but if you're that enthusiastic, fifty it is!"

"…"

"Aren't we communicative?!!"

"…"

"Whoever said silence is golden never got walked home by you!"

"…Agnostic, I guess."

"That does sound like a pretty agnostic answer to me!"

"I guess."

"You can get so grouchy sometimes... Anyway: Jung, Freud or Fromm?"

"Jung."

"Heathcliff, Garfield or Hello Kitty?"

"Did you just say Hello Kitty?"

"Well… some people find it…cute?"

"I beg your pardon Kaoru, but that's like asking which Tellytubbie is your favorite!"

"Which I'm hoping is not the purple one because that's the one that has a male voice and carries around a purse. No, I do not suffer from homophobia at all, I just don't think that precisely _that_ tellytubbie should be a straight guy's favorite because, let's face it, that would be just plain weird!"

"As opposed to simply _having a favorite one?"_

"Touché!"

"Maybe you should just stick to less controversial questions."

"Actually, I was hoping that during my version of the Spanish Inquisition I could pinpoint just what it is that you should be recovering from exactly… but I'm assuming that that would be a controversial topic that could do without my prying, correct?"

The young man with fiery hair slowed his pace to a standstill as he awkwardly pondered the question that had just been left hanging in the air, above their heads: talk about suspended suspense! 

Was talking about Tomoe, so many months after their break-up, truly so controversial a thing? Would it harm his relationship with the lively schoolgirl if he chose to plead the fifth? Did he really want to keep it all inside? Did he actually _have_ a relationship of any type with the girl? Wasn't this query just a speck too broad for his taste? Did it not leave too many things in the open? Was he only recovering from a bad break-up? Was there more to it than that? And if so, did he really want to talk about it? Why was he even _thinking about talking about it? What was wrong with him today?_

"You don't have to say anything; if I'm being nosy, put me in my place and we'll move on. Besides time invested on the past is time wasted; live in the now aiming towards the future… somewhat. You said so yourself at the diner: 'carpe diem', remember?"

When she opened her mouth, when she phrased her thoughts, when she scrunched up her brow, when she absentmindedly discarded old wounds and gave him half the chance to shed his skin; when she was herself, she was so beautiful. The irony of it all was that she probably wasn't even aware of how a few minutes spent by her side could change a man.

She was real and honest and kind enough to not ask for anything in return after she just gave herself away. She did not presume to be special and her words weren't a poem by Baudelaire; she was regular, average and plain, but something about the way she responded to the world made her stand out, made her shine, made her genuine, made her KAORU.

That was it, wasn't it? How was she supposed to keep safe that way? What made a rose think that four measly thorns could protect it from the world? Did she even know what kind of a world she was living in? Did she ever conceive the kind of bad news this could bring?

"You shouldn't do that." he spoke at length, eyes hidden behind the thick drapery of carmine bangs.

"Do what?" she inquired innocently.

"Let sleeping dogs lie: it could get you into trouble."

"It's not like I won't find out eventually; the truth always comes spitting right out. However, I am a firm believer in a little something called 'timing': not everyone's psychological clock is set to buzz at the same hour; some people need more time than others, and that's okay. 

Besides, I can always squeeze it out of you later: the element of surprise is, after all, an Angela Lansbury favorite!"

Startled lavender eyes widened in astonishment; that certainly caught him off-guard!

"But of course! How ever could I overlook the pedagogic quality of _'Murder, She Wrote'?" he gabbed smoothly, promptly attempting to cover up the small slip-up, the one millisecond in which he let down his guard._

"But of course! And don't you forget Nancy Drew, Poirot and Monk's teachings!" she added merrily.

"Duly noted."

Kaoru laughed a stream of gold and teasingly elbowed him in the ribs: she was taken aback by just how good it felt to have him lighten up!

"See? That wasn't so terrible, was it? You smiled and you didn't even pull one muscle!"

"You're only saying that because you misjudge the taciturn; we get quite a kick out of sulking silently and such."

"Believe you me, you have _not_ seen sulky and taciturn until you bear witness to the spectacle that is me on the day they hand back our math tests!"

"That bad, is it?"

"Let's just say that I'm scouting for a new tutor, seeing as I've already recruited and failed to understand all available in this zip-code."

"Well… and this is just a thought so… feel free to say no, if you are so inclined, but: what if you stop by the loft on Friday and I lamely attempt to help you out at studying for your next math test or doing your math homework?"

"Ah… the hero complex, once again, kicks in! And, as luck would have it, you are, not only good at saving people's lives, you're also a math wiz, correct?"

"Well… not a wiz per say, but I'm fairly decent at calculus and spatial geometry."

"I guess I'll have to think about it. That, and fill the parental units in; because of the whole party fiasco I'm grounded till I turn thirty, so if I'm ever going to get away from the house, this could prove to be as good an excuse as any."

"Technically it's not an excuse. I think it's safe to say that studying doesn't really hold any of the _perks_ that a frat party proffers."

"Don't remind me! I still suffer from mental blanks whenever the subject is broached and, for some weird reason, I keep humming and singing poor Joni Mitchell renditions under my breath."  

Kenshin allowed the shadow of a smile to grace his lips. He could still see her singing along to the car radio and humming like a mad bee, utterly wasted. In his own humble opinion, it was for the best that Kaoru not recover full memory of the events that had unfolded that night; some would be too embarrassing, for her as well as him, and some would simply be too sinister…

"And here we are at last: home sweet home!" the blithesome girl exclaimed at the sight of a two story house, with its small garden and quaint little gate shaded by a rose arch trellis.

"It seems that our journey has finally reached its end." he declared.

"How in the world do you make everything sound so definitive?"

"How do you manage to read so much into things?"

"_I read too much into things? Look who's talking…"_

"I'm not the one getting angry over a petty disagreement, that's for sure."

Had Kaoru been a neon sign, 'Kiss me! Kiss me' would have been flashing around in big bold letters right about then.

It was one of the most perplexing things that had ever happened to her up to date, but there was something about his nonchalant, manic-depressive, provoking and vexatious ways that made him irrevocably… appealing.

Was she loosing her mind? Perhaps. Was she completely off her rocker? Well… certain unexpected sensations surging through her at that particular time could, quite possibly, attest to it. Did she give a damn? Hmm… Not particularly, no.  

Maybe it had been all that 'carpe diem' talk that had done the trick; maybe, it was that accursed tendency of hers to always seek to help the helpless that had been her downfall; or maybe, just maybe, he had her at 'hello'. The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that our fledgling female lead, in that particular instant, was feeling something powerful blossoming at the pit of her stomach, something akin to the sweet-tempered flapping of delicate butterfly wings, bringing forth warmth and an unfamiliar wave of surrender that dispersed itself from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. 

_"What is this feeling?" she wondered, not for the first time –she realized- since she had laid eyes on the peculiar boy standing before her._

"Kaoru?" he called out hesitantly, jostling her from her thoughts.

"Sorry! You were saying?" she inquired in as aloof a manner as she dared, hoping against hope that he hadn't noticed the paltry blush that she just knew was coming to flaming life on her cheeks.

"You were arguing with me and… never mind."

"You started it!" she countered at once.

"Oro? How so?"

"Well… you just… with your… there was you being all definitive about stuff and… you started it!" she finished off pathetically, uselessly standing her ground.

"That's one way of putting things…"

"Yes it is. One way. The only way."

"Well 'Miss High and Mighty', as long as you manage to step through that gate and make it home alive and well, my work here is done."

Kaoru smiled, a wan expression crossing her face as her hands reached for the gate: why did saying goodbye leave her feeling so…sad? This was ridiculous! What was wrong with her today?!!

"Bye Kenshin… and thanks… for that whole life saving thing back there and… for walking me home. I could have done it by myself, but thanks anyway. I…I appreciate it."

He gathered that displays of gratitude weren't that common or easy a task for her, and that was probably a good thing too; otherwise her thanks would not have been as honest or as full of meaning as they had been and they would not have warmed his heart as much.

That is why, before he could stop himself, he put it right out there; before he could regret it, he spit it right out, as she predicted would be the case:

"A break-up." he mumbled.

"Sorry?" she urged him to repeat himself, letting go of the open gate.

"Megumi and Sano: they both seem to think that that's what I'm recovering from… a rough break-up."

"Is it?" she asked sizing him up kindly, which disconcerted him, yet again.

"In part." he replied curtly.

Kaoru smiled broadly this time around: he might not be willing to share everything, but she figured that saying this much was hard for him. She wondered what could have made him decide to speak up…

"I'll see you on Friday, Kenshin." she divulged softly, turning away from him.

"Till Friday it is then…Kaoru." He said, whispering her name as an afterthought.

She closed the gate and leaned her back against it. She had to admit, she liked the way he said her name.

He walked back the way he had come. Without a chatty girl by his side, the afternoon seemed somewhat lonelier and boring.  Taking in a breath of polluted city air, Kenshin chanced giving his watch a glimpse and discovered that he was late for his test… the one he had been hopelessly studying for before he left the loft in a befuddled state of mind. 

Normally this sort of situation would have him hyperventilating and racking his brain for a solution but, oddly enough, he found that he… couldn't quite care less at the moment. 

All he wanted to do was take his time getting home and… he wasn't exactly sure. It struck him that, aside from studying or cooking or doing the laundry, he didn't know what to do with himself. Maybe he should head out to the old dojo and practice a while. Maybe, maybe not: ether way he didn't really care; either way, he felt fine. 

_"Thank you…Kaoru…"****_

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**__**

**__**

**_Prologue_**

**__**

**_Scene: __A room with a view. **Ms. Writer** sits behind a desk, working on a typewriter._**

_         Enter **Muse.**_

**_Muse: __She wanted to say something. She didn't know what it was yet, but she knew there was a truth inside of her waiting for  the right moment to be set free. _**

_She believed in honesty and integrity, yet how many times had she caught herself dancing on a white lie? Forgive me; did I say "dancing"? I meant tumbling and trembling through it._

_Sometimes, the right words evade me: all the things she doesn't mean to say stand forward leaving me –along with the proper words- behind. _

_Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever been stuck on an empty page for hours, scratching your head in the hopes that it will come to you, that the cartoon-like light bulb will flicker on, but all the patience in the world doesn't amount to anything because your sheet still remains blank?_

_I guess it is natural, understandable and what have you. In spite of that, I happen to know for a fact that it doesn't bother or frustrate any less._

_Ms. Writer has no tricks up her sleeve, no adjectives or adverbs to summon, no verbs or nouns to conjure. _

_Ms. Writer is all alone and, in her loneliness, she seeks the guidance of words and flourished phrases to fill up the empty spaces. Sometimes it works; more often than naught, it isn't enough._

_Many a time, Ms. Writer has stared at the pure whiteness, at the hollow blue lines and, many a time, vocabulary and sentencing sentences deny her friendship._

_Then, she sits by herself, gazes at her typewriter and wills it to come to life. For, she knows that her stories, her eternal companions, lack something very special: they lack humanity, flaring nostrils and beating hearts._

_All those dead trees sitting by her desk, awaiting her magic touch, require a pulse, a life she cannot breathe into them, a choice that is not hers to make._

_Yes, al Ms. Writer can do is sit quietly and wait for a muse, wait for language to carelessly imitate life._

_Ms. Writer often sighs._

**_[Ms. Writer sighs loudly.]_**

****

**_Muse:__ You see, it's not unusual for eternity to stretch itself into long hours of loneliness and frustration, of hopeless simulations,  _**

_         of useless attempts._

_         Ms. Writer is tired of her books and novels and papers and quills, of fantastic beasts given shape beneath candlelight._

_         Ms. Writer sits and sighs often._

**_[Ms. Writer sighs loudly.]_**

****

**_Muse: __You see, she is tired of looking out her window craving life._**

**_Ms.Writer: __[Standing]_**

_        After all, there has to something more than texts and manuscripts! _

_                 Out there, expecting my arrival must be some form of life._

_                 [Sitting]_

_         **        I am lonely. I am the coldest shade of blue. I crave life.**_

_                 [Standing]_

_                 Taking all of this into consideration, I, Ms. Writer, will sit no more. I shall_

_                 Stand and seek and find, for I am sure that, somewhere, beyond my window,_

_                 lies life._

**_Muse: __Thus, the story of Ms. Writer began…_**

_[All exit stage.]_

Allowing the pen to slip away from her grasp, Kaoru let it roll off her desk as she stretched her arms.

"All done!" she joyfully exclaimed to no one in particular, breaking the reigning silence in her room.

To be perfectly frank, she had no idea where that bout of sudden inspiration had come from. Just that afternoon, as soon as she abandoned the school's grounds, she had felt petrified at the thought of having to sit herself down and write a play. After almost dying, priorities changed, she mused. If not a near death experience, what else could possibly explain an impromptu creative spurt? 

She allowed her lips to curl themselves into a wistful smile. She could think of a few things other than the threat of imminent death that could provoke artistic proficiency: one name, to be more exact…

* RING! RING!*

And that would be Misao, right on schedule. Sometimes a phone does for the most welcome of interruptions; some people simply have good timing: put the two together and it's a best friend's daily call right before dinnertime that resolves the equation.  

*RING! RING!*

Yes, some people really have good timing: one more second and 'woe that was her!', she would have been chummy with the worms by now. She really should stop thinking about it all, thinking about him!

*RING! RING!*

_"Thank you Mr. Graham Bell, you gifted us all with a blessing in disguise. Thank you Misao, for always being right on time. Thank you Kenshin, thank you for saving my life, in more ways than one…_

Flip two coins and impossibility becomes quite possible…

**~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       **

_Reviewer Responses:_

**To kouri: **Thanks for your review. I'm glad to see your penname back in this segment, that I am! I'm also relieved that you aren't upset because I STILL haven't finished reading what you have up so far for your delightful story; I hope to be able to review the rest before your next update, although I can't guarantee it, just as I hope to be able to upload another chapter before this year ends, as a little gift to all of you wonderful reviewers who stick by me, but I can't exactly promise because it all depends on factors beyond my desires and wishes. Thanks again for dropping a few lines!

**To Misato-Katsuragi2: **Thank you for reviewing. You know what? I hope that the upcoming chapters are as good as the past 10 ones as well! I would really like to maintain the quality of this story and your review gave me something to think about and strive towards. Thankies and bye!

**To EnjeruJoshin:** Yours was, by far, one of the most hilarious and sweetest reviews I have ever received! It is amazing to hear that my writing can touch and move you so deeply; it is, after all, what every aspiring writer struggles and dreams of doing. If my silly little story can make you laugh, can make you cry, can make you smile and can make you think about your needs, wants and life in general then… that's the best Christmas gift Santa could pop under my tree. As for the marriage thing… I don't swing that way, but your offer of the Kenshin DVDs and manga tempts me… a lot. Let me think about it, okay? I'll get back to you on that one. ^_~ * wraps in big teddy bear hug * Till next chapter!

**To missaw:** I would never, ever, in a million years think about discontinuing this story… at least not right now! @_@ Thank you for your comments, you are one of my most reliable reviewers and I value that very much. Have a merry Christmas and I promise I will try to see if I can update before 2004 starts, 'kay? Bye! ^_^

**To @_@ :** Many thanks for sharing your thoughts on this fanfic! Kaoru a more energetic Aoshi? I can agree with that statement, but she might beat you senseless with her shinai for it! Don't say I didn't warn you! ^_~ As to how I do it? Well… simply put, it is a mystery. Although, I do have to say that I have one of the best literature teachers in the world. Next semester is the last I have with her and that makes me unbelievably sad but, 'carpe diem' hunh?  Thanks again and, feel free to review, comment or ask me any questions you like, anytime.

**To VanyD: **Because of you *points accusing finger right back* I will be tired tomorrow because I spent a countless amount of hours penning this chapter! Thanks for liking it and reviewing and, although I will be drained tomorrow, I don't particularly mind: it's my pleasure. ^__^

**To Bob-san: **Sorry if I lost you with my fast paced conversation between K/K, but I do tend to get a bit 'Gilmore girls' when I write, or when I talk, or when I think, for that matter. The old people's thoughts sprung out of nowhere. They weren't even going to be in the chapter, but suddenly I remembered seeing this old white and black photograph of an old couple sitting on a bench… and it fit my storyline! Thank you for reviewing and, you are most welcome: it's my pleasure to give my reviewers replies! ^_~

**To Rhapsody07: **Thank you for the awesome compliments: they had me floating on cloud nine for quite a bit! I don't know if I will write the great American novel, seeing as I am not American -or English, for that matter- but I do hope to be a respectable author someday and I wish that for you as well. It's nice to have dreams and even better when they come true! Have a Merry Christmas and an excellent New Year Rhapsody-chan! I'm lucky to have a reviewer like you!

**To Ocean Fish:** I am the type of person to get jealous of a plant, so I can empathize with poor Saito-chan (yes I am calling him "chan" because it's fun to see him sweatdrop!) and I can also tell him that we are pookies and he just has to deal with it, so there! Aside from the five-year-old tantrum I just graced you with I am, as always, grateful that you reviewed, I already read and reviewed chapter 5 of 'Living the Dead', as well as chapter 1 of 'Blame it on my youth' and now I am updating, all before the end of 2003; aren't I a productive little camper?  I'm tired pookie, after I upload I'm going to bed so, I'll catch you another time, 'kay? Bye bye!!! Also, before I go, he DID walk her home and, there's no date involved in their future encounter, but don't you like the possibilities and doors I left open for them? Bye now! Have yourself a Merry little Christmas and an awesome New Year! 

**To Venus Smurf:** You keep saying I'm wonderful, but have you ever stopped to think just how wonderful YOU are? You are God's gift to all fanfiction writers that you review, I am sure. Thank you for asking about my father, I believe that you are the only one who took the time to read my author's note and ask about it. He's fine, he's at home recuperating and he has already gone back to work so, if he takes it slow, everything should run smoothly and without any glitches. You will be glad to hear that I have future plans for Yahiko, but he will come into play much later on, I think. Well, I did take a lot of Flinstone Kids vitamins as a child, so that could explain some of the cleverness you claim I posses. Your explanation on the whole over- inflated ego thing has me blushing furiously! You are a master of flattery, that's for sure! I will miss you while you are away, but do have fun and come back with all kinds of nice things to tell me about your Christmas holiday! To the amazing girl that is Venus Smurf, I wish a Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year! May 2004 be merry and bright- or is that supposed to be Christmas? Oh well, you know what I mean! See you in six weeks! Bye!!

To all of you I wish the very best in this upcoming new year. May 2004 be everything you hoped and more than you bargained for! Christmas cookies and gingerbread men for all!!! Woo hoo!!! 


	12. The hours of our time

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Rurouni Kenshin no me pertenece. Rurouni Kenshin ne m'appartient pas. Rurouni Kenshin não me pretence. Shall I go on? _

I don't own any of the quotes I make reference to, Doritos, the songs I speak of, Pepto-Bismol, etc. 

**Quick little message from author: I think I jinxed myself. Last time I complained about having a hard time writing and after being done with this chapter, I should take that back: I didn't know what hard was until Chapter 12 rounded the corner! I apologize for the long intervals between updates, but producing quality material –or at least trying to- is a little time consuming and I refuse to post anything that I haven't slaved over as much as I consider it necessary.**

There's a mystery character in this chapter and the inspirational music for each of its appearances would have to be _"Non, je ne_ _regrette__ rien", Cássia Eller version (the Édith Piaf one is good too, but I like the modern one better). _

I've decided that if, by chance, a song has a strong influence on my writing, I'll give you guys the name in case you have it anywhere around so you can get the full _Iram_ experience. 

Also, some parts of this chapter are written in French; I took the liberty of placing the translations in parentheses, next to these sentences, so no one has to bother with scrolling up and down. Pardon my French –literally-, but it's been a while since I last used it, so it's a bit rusty.  

Enjoy the show everybody, and thank you for the encouragement. 

****

****

****

**Chapter 12: The Hours of our Time.**

_Time has been transformed, and we have changed; it has advanced and set us in motion; it has unveiled its face, inspiring us with bewilderment and exhilaration._

_                                      **-Khalil Gibran.**_

****

_One must learn a different... sense of time, one that depends more on small amounts than big ones._

_                                      **-Sister Mary Paul.  
  
Time is the longest distance between two places.**_

_                                      **-****_Tennessee_******__ Williams._

****

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

It was truly a beautiful morning: the birds were chirping and the skies were clear and bright.

It was undoubtedly a morning of the fairest caliber: Kaoru was chipper and her mood was sunny and light-hearted.

It was Friday: the wait would finally be over and, after a boring, uneventful school week, she would get to see him again, much to her heart's delight.

It was too good a day to be true and –make no mistake- warning signs such as these must always be heeded.

A shadow cast itself over the sun for the briefest of seconds, but none took notice of the ill omen; none wish to be faced with the inevitable until running away is no longer an option. 

This would prove to be the first cloud to block Kamiya Kaoru's sun since the beginning of our tale: 'tis a long way till the silver lining…

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

**08:35 hrs.**

"Mademoiselle Makimachi: voudriez-vous bien lire le début du poème d'Alain Bosquet qui se trouve sur la page cent cinquante de vos livres, s'il vous plaît ?"

**_("Miss Makimachi : would you mind reading the beginning of the Alain Bosquet poem on page 150 of your books, please?") _**

"Poem? Which poem? "A wide-eyed Misao inquired hopefully- she had never been much good at foreign languages… "The weird one that talks about Palmolive bar soap and Gillete razor blades? The one that we read last week Miss Levaud? Would you like me to read it? Is that what you're asking me to do?"

"En français Mademoiselle Makimachi! En français_!"_**_("In French Miss Makimachi!_****_ In French!")_ Miss Valerie Levaud snapped, drawing ever closer to the fidgety teen's desk, like a predator, cautiously circling round its prey.**

"Umm… Je… Le livre… Aluette, gentil aluette?" she ventured guessing, her mastery of the French language stopping at 'Evian' and 'voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?'.

"Vraiment! Avez-vous étudié quelque chose cette semaine, Mademoiselle Makimachi? Avez-vous fait vos devoirs ?!!" 

**_("Honestly! Did you study anything this week, Miss Makimachi? Did you do your homework?") _**

"Umm... Oui?" In Misao's experience, affirmative action had always been the way to go.

"Oui? Très bien: vous n'auriez donc pas aucun problème por réciter la conjugaison du present indicatif du verbe être, n'est ce pas?"

**_("Yes? Very well then: you would therefore have no problem reciting the inflection of the verb 'to be' in the present tense now, would you?")  _**

"Umm... Frère Jacques?" the emerald-eyed girl feebly attempted to keep up with the whole 'en français' bit, but finally decided to drop the act and excuse herself from the presence of the one teacher that made life in the seventh circle of hell seem like a picnic in comparison to this regularly torturous routine, her every good, bad and blah Friday crucifixions. "I give up! May I go to the bathroom, _s'il_ vous plait_?"_

Rolling her eyes to reveal milky white orbs, clutching her chest tightly and then her left arm in actions reminiscent to those of heart attack victims, Miss Levaud allowed her least promising student to saunter out of her classroom in her flowy floral-print skirt and ballerina wrap-top.

Kaoru looked up from her copy of _Oliver Twist_ and smirked: Friday mornings were always so much fun!

Her best friend would invariably act altogether stumped or thoroughly diva-ish and the student body's least favorite teacher (with the unfortunate exception of Greenburg and Mr. 'a-brilliant-mind' Daniels) would start displaying possible symptoms of either psychosis or schizophrenia, depending on what time of the month it was.

Ah yes, today was bound to be an excellent day!

Now, where was she? Oh, that's right: _"What?" said the Master, in a faint voice._

                                                  _"Please, sir," replied Oliver, "I want some more."_

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        

****

**08:50**** hrs.******

****

If there was something that Kenshin didn't want to see ever again, other than a naked Sanosuke –the heavens could not be that cruel!-, it was the current nightmarish image looming over his bed.

There stood his very tall, very muscular and very much male roommate in nothing but his Sponge Bob briefs: talk about a wake up call! 

Fixing him with a piercing glare that could put environmentalists heedful of global warming at ease, the redhead just_ knew_ that envying the blind wasn't a very normal thing and that the disturbing imagery he had, precisely at this moment risen from sleep to, would be the subject of many heated discussions with the therapy group that he was most convinced with every passing second he would be joining soon enough.               

"This had better be good." He growled out dryly.

Not one with a death-wish or particularly taken with the quality and range of musical sounds produced by Farinelli, Sano eagerly jumped at the chance to explain himself and avoid any and all maiming –he liked his body just the way it was, thank you very much! No 'rearranging' of body parts was, in the least, necessary!

"I just realized: I'm going to die a bitter, lonely old man, aren't I?!! I'm turning into Hiko, aren't I?!!"

Kenshin rubbed his eyes and frowned: wasn't a mid-life crisis scheduled for some time later on in the all too distant future? 

Was this load of rubbish –mind you, Hiko really was a bitter man- the actual reason he was awake this early in the morning, on the only day in years that he had decided to sleep in?

"I beg your pardon Sano, but I never took you for the type concerned with becoming a spinster…"

"I'm serious Kenshin! I don't want to die without an heir, living in a secluded cabin somewhere like a complete hermit! I don't want my neighbors calling the police to complain about a weird stench coming from my apartment; hell, I want to be missed when I'm gone!" the loud man spluttered madly, pulling at his spiky nest of hair and pacing round the room.

"First thing's first: put some clothes on and, for all our sakes, switch to boxers King Sano!" the shorter of the two exclaimed, sitting upright against the headboard. "Now, tell me _friend_: how did all this come about and why couldn't it wait?"

"There's no time for clothes or your _faboo_ fashion sense _friend_, not when time's ticking away and I have yet to figure out how to avoid being a total failure before death becomes me!!!"

"Sano… at the risk of sounding incredibly blunt and very much unlike my usually patient self… what the hell is going on?!!"

_That caught the distressed male's attention! To hear Kenshin Himura curse and raise his voice in one fell swoop was enough to snap him out of his identity crisis and make him crumble._

"It's Megumi…She and I… We had a fight… She just left in a huff. It's… I don't know what's gonna happen." he confessed, slumping down on the bed by the other boy's feet.

Kenshin didn't know either. He didn't know what was going to happen or what he was about to hear, but it sure didn't sound promising…

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

**09:00**** hrs.******

****

It was time to rise and shine.

A pair of bare feet padded towards the window, a pair of hands pulled the blinds open and a pair of solemn eyes took in the view that the small hotel room offered.

It was a pity that the stay had been so short for it looked far from a hostile city, at least from behind the protection of spanned glass.

Then again: put an empty suitcase in your hand and you will be filling it with memories to take home; find yourself in a strange land and, as you write letters, you crazily wonder if you can fit yourself into an envelope and FedEx yourself home.

It was time to rise and shine; it was time to go home: joy and dread walk hand in hand, sometimes…

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

**09:38**** hrs.******

****

"Is it just me, or is this day going by real slow, painstakingly so?" a certain obsidian-haired Kamiya Kasshin Ruy practitioner mused out loud.

"I swear, I see his lips moving, but all I hear is 'mwa-mwa-mwa' ad nauseum; he's like Charlie Brown's frigging teacher or something!" was Misao's mumbled reply as she stared off into the distance with glazed over eyes.

"Who knew a recount of Marie Antoinette's death could be so… so… unbelievably boring?!!"

"He's middle aged Englishman speaking of the French: need I say more?" was her colleague's tart reply.

"Someone needs to slip cyanide or belladonna into his cup of tea one of these days, preferably _this_ day."

"Don't give me any ideas: I'm starting to get too tempted for my own good."

"Wake me for recess, will you?" Kaoru requested, letting her head fall forward on the desk/extremely flat, rigid and uncomfortable pillow.

"I thought it was my turn to nap during History!" was the complaint that abandoned the drama queen's lips.

"I almost died Monday; I need rest to recover from the shock."

Misao face-faulted, awed at how sneaky her friend could be, but promptly recovered, a clever idea coming to mind:

"Forget it! I'll just ask whoever's on my right to wake us up once Napoleon goes down in Waterloo."

"Like music to my ears." 

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

**09:42 hrs.**

****

"When did you decide this?"

"I haven't decided anything yet!"

"Well… have you at least discussed this with Captain Souzou yet?"

"Do you see how my head is still perfectly attached to the rest of my body? What does that tell you?"

"That Captain Souzou is a 100% in the dark about this…"

"And I intend to keep it that way: for some reason I kind of like being alive and that's the way I want things to stay, so long as I can help it!"

"So… why tell Megumi? You didn't expect her to take this well, did you?"

"Have I already mentioned that I haven't decided anything yet? I just needed someone to confide in, and she just so happens to be my girlfriend: she didn't have to panic!" 

"Sano, you know how her family is! You can't expect to tell her that you're thinking of dropping out of college and have it blow over well."

"No, but she _is my girlfriend and I was kind of hoping that she would at least stay and talk it out with me instead of running off without even buttoning up her blouse!"_

"I must say, I am astounded as to how you did not see this coming Sano. What you've chosen to do is pretty reckless, and even you-"

"Don't any of you people listen when I talk?!! I haven't chosen to do _anything!"_

Kenshin sighed and opted for placing a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of his friend rather than voicing his own thoughts. 

It was so undeniably typical of Sanosuke to behave like a loose cannon! When would he ever learn that the words coming out of his mouth held meaning and often served to define situations? This was big news and now was not the time to act rashly, as was his nature. 

"You think I'm just a harebrained, immature good-for-nothing, don't you? The brunet asked bitterly "You think I'm nothing more than an irremediable fool and underachiever." 

"I never said that Sano." his comrade stated evenly and honestly, taking a seat beside him. "Megumi did though, didn't she?"

"Word for word." was the saturnine reply.

A thick cloak of silence wrapped round the two men, prompting them both to leave their food untouched and, instead, maul over the predicament at hand. 

"It sucks to have a conscience like Megitsune, doesn't it?" Sano spoke after a while, trying to make light of the situation and break the tension in the air. 

"Are you serious about any of this?" Kenshin demanded to know, ignoring the miserable attempt at comic relief just made. 

Sanosuke took his time, indolently picking at his breakfast, before giving an earnest answer to an up front, unpretentious question:

"That's the thing _Kenny_: I might just be…"

Sagara Sanosuke really knew how to mimic the one dearest to his heart with absolute perfection.

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

****

**10:11**** hrs.******

****

Blueberry pancakes or blueberry muffins? Blueberry this or blueberry that? Some decisions are just really tough to make and some people's wills are just too hard a nut to crack.

Orange juice was a sure bet, bacon was at the top of the choice foods chain and breakfast down at the lobby was becoming an intricate analogy for a life quickly slipping into parody.

Some wrongs needed to be made right, certain ties needed to be cut loose and going back to one's roots seemed like the ideal location and means to start working on such demanding labors. 

So much to do, so little to do it all in and a whole lot more to loose…

On this day it would be blueberry pancakes: a choice was made.

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

****

**12:52**** hrs.******

****

* Crunch, crunch, crunch – SLURP, SLURP – crunch, crunch- *

"Stop stuffing your faces for a second and listen to me!" Misao ordered in an impassioned plea for attention.

Eyeing her warily, her table companions sagely dropped all eating utensils, swallowed and turned avid eyes and ears towards the spokeswoman, ready to hungrily devour the female's wise words… all except Kaoru, that is, who was far too busy waging a loosing battle with her sticky excuse for spaghetti, courtesy of the school cafeteria.

"Kaoru!" the aforementioned chairwoman of the lunch council wailed impatiently, "Pay attention!" 

"Thanks _Major, but I'd rather not; the rest of the farm animals will have to suffice for today." she replied without bothering to look up from her plate, refusing to surrender or accept defeat at the strings of the gooey spaghetti blob that was her enemy._

Accustomed to the George Orwell reference, Danielle, Terry and Kaz –the usual suspects- took no offense at this and, instead, awaited further instructions from the orator or, in their steed, the commencement of some sort of gushy, over emotional speech. Of course, there was always the lingering possibility of Misao's rebuttal to her best friend's indifference…

"Before the party, you used to encourage my love life endeavors, now you condemn them: why is that?" she questioned austerely, an effect that was swiftly lost with the addition of the afterthought: "And don't think that I enjoy being compared to a fat pig in the least!"

"One: encourage might be too strong a word and two: your 'love life endeavors' end up with you trashed, giving some perverted looser a free lap-dance. Now, explain why I should become head-cheerleader for the 'let's act out our insanity project'?"

"One: you are one to talk about the night of the party Miss tipsy-cake! And numero two: because it's your job as BFF (Best Friend Forever) to be supportive no matter if it kills you!"

"Well, I guess that my invisible friendship hand-book is pretty outdated; when did a new edition come out?" Kaoru quipped sarcastically, stabbing pointlessly at her plate.

"You are insufferable!" Misao protested, frantically waving her arms in a histrionic display of melodrama.

"And you are far too determined in becoming the pebble, temptation, Maya, or whatever you want to call it, in Aoshi-lama's shoe, 40 days and nights in the desert, eternal quest for enlightenment, or whichever term you prefer to use that refers to his holiness' sexually frustrated condition."

The prima donna in question scowled, offended by the very suggestion that had just been placed on the table: "You just don't know! If you did, if you- I won't give up! He'll smile for me, you'll see!"

"Misao, there's no doubt in my mind that whenever the tall, dark, silent type of our universe cracks a smile, you will be the source. 

Lord knows if you keep this up he might surprise us all by erupting into peels of laughter like volcanoes spew lava, but I'm tired of seeing you twist yourself into knots for naught. 

For instance, on the eve of the party you looked really sexy and yet, snow cone said no-no: you can't top that red number. 

What I mean to say is that maybe, instead of bringing out your mo-"     

"Kamiya, you are a genius!!!" Misao squealed, interrupting her and practically swooning in delight, which had a certain someone crossing their ultramarine eyes and thinking harder than ever before.

"What did I say??? Do you have a fever? Have you finally snapped? Do you need a glass of water? Here; have my iced tea!" 

To say that Kaoru was confused, was an understatement in itself. To say that Misao was now laughing maniacally, a mischievous glint in her eye, was double the trouble and fun.

"Sexy! You said sexy!!!"

"I already know that you consider me a prude, you don't have to keep on reminding me! Besides, it didn't even reach kinky decibels, so I don't get what's got you all worked up."

"No Kaoru –I mean, yes you are a prude, but that's not what I'm going on about. Look: you said that I was sexy the day of the frat party and that's when Aoshi finally paid attention to me. In conclusion, and in retrospect, more aggressive, assertive measures need to be undertaken; the road to success ne'er did run smooth, but I can pull it off with the right amount of effort!" 

"I don't think that voicing his disappointment in you –however unjust a comment that was- qualifies as positive acknowledgement of you. I understand that if at first you don't succeed you try again, but doesn't the second turn usually involve different tactics in the hopes of reaching another more suitable outcome? 

What I'm trying to say is that, maybe, his libido shouldn't be the target; there has to be another crack in his less than lustrous armor that you can pierce your way through." the voice of reason spoke euphonically.

A sound mind's advice, making logical comprehensions sound out, transports itself, nevertheless, to deaf ears when one is most involved in scheming plans of dubious nature, as was the case.

"Misao?" Kaoru whispered, pronouncing her soul sister's name with deadly caution, in fear of awakening the demoness that lurched inside and every once in a while took it upon itself to come out and play.

"I'm stopping at a Victoria's Secret after school: I have an excellent plan!" the adolescent announced energetically: and *pop* goes the weasel!

"Wait Misao, I didn't mean- dear gods, I've created a monster!!! Guys, help me out here!" Kaoru now switched to _sounding her barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world*_, spinning on her heel in expectation of the back-up crew.  

The wind blew, crickets chirped, but not a human peep was emitted. 

"Guys?"

Glancing around herself, she found only an evacuated area: those who had any sense in them had abandoned ship before Tsunami Misao swallowed them whole.

Just great! Now she was one lone soldier against the forces of nature: some odds those were!

**_{Sounding her barbaric yawp over the…*_****: "I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world" (Walt Whitman).} **

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

****

**12:58**** hrs.******

****

"Kenshin, I've been meaning to ask you: what's up with those boxes in your room? Don't take me wrong, it's very manly of you to take up littering, but the contents of those boxes…" Sano piped up, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

"The boxes, my curious friend, happen to contain a few of Tomoe's belongings, which I'm packing up and sending off to Italy." Kenshin explained, whilst cleaning up the messy living area.

"We still have Tomoe memorabilia lying around the place?" the taller of the two asked incredulously, remote control in one hand, bag of Doritos in the other. 

"We _used to still house some of her things, yes. However, said items have all been placed together in two boxes that will be dropped off at DHL on Monday." the lavender-eyed male further addressed the matter as he mopped the floor and backhanded his nosy roommate off the couch for resting his feet on the coffee table. _

"I'm beginning to think that your ex lived in a giant Pepto-Bismol bottle! Now that the mystery has been cleared though, I feel truly relieved: all that pink bric-a-brac was making me wonder about you Kenshin!" 

Kenshin scowled and decided to ignore yet another cheap shot aimed to emasculate his person: just because he was clean, orderly, actually enjoyed the mundane fulfillment of his chores and on occasion wore a hand-knitted magenta sweater that Tomoe's grandmother had made for him did not mean that he was gay! 

Sanosuke, however, took special pride and pleasure in jokingly depicting him as someone of questionable sexuality, overlooking the fact that being the butt of said jests and jives was not something that he himself took particular pride or pleasure in. 

"Have you called Megumi?" the redhead voiced instead.

"Only a gazillion times and I've left an equal amount of messages on her answering machine; next thing you know, I'll be reading poetry into it and acting wimpier and gayer than a hobbit!"

"Hobbits are not gay Sano; Tolkien merely narrated and through them gave voice and character to the lost value of friendship." the defender of 'The Lord of The Rings' patiently illustrated in a rehearsed manner; apparently this wasn't the first time that the dwellers of the Shire had been misjudged and he had had to step in and safeguard their integrity. 

"Dude, all you said right there… That was so gay!!!" 

Sighing in defeat, Kenshin headed over to a house plant in dire need of some gentle care and watered it.

"Anyway… what's up with the spring cleaning?" Sagara queried, tossing an empty bag of chips over his head.

"I always tidy the place up, something you never comment on, but am _sure you appreciate..." Himura retaliated sarcastically._

"Oh no: you found me out! I'm a closet clean-freak! Please don't tell anyone, I'm not ready to come out yet!  Those Chinese take-out boxes I leave scattered 'bout and the state of my room are all decoys, that way no one will suspect anything: no one must ever know!"

"Sano… that wasn't even funny." he stated flatly, quirking his eyebrows.

"I try." the spiky haired boy affirmed with a shrug. "So seriously, who's coming over to inspect the state of our crib? Is Hiko stoppin' by or somethin'?"

"No one's coming over to inspect anything. If you must know, a friend's coming over to study this afternoon." Kenshin verbalized, a hint of a smile touching his lips.

"This girl have a name?" Sano asked with a chuckle: the guy was so transparent, it was sad.

"Why would you assume… Kaoru."

Really, was there a point in lying? Was he being that obvious? Wasn't his roommate a tad too cocky for his own good? Wasn't this all just slightly too deplorable?

"Missy's coming over?" Said utterance was backed up by a conceited face-splitting grin. "You two really hit it off, didn't you?" 

"She's only coming over to study math for a while."

"Couldn't you ask her out on a real date?"

"Why would I do that Sano? She's just a schoolgirl for crying out loud!"

"I'll give ya that she's not how I pictured she would be and I'm not even sure she's legal, but hey, God works in mysterious ways."

"How you pictured she would be? _She_ who?" 

Suddenly, Sagara Sanosuke was being cryptic: this was a terrifying novelty and bloodcurdling development; Roy gets bit by one of his own tigers and a rooster head shows signs of intelligent life: what _was the world coming to?_

"Your soulmate." he answered simply.

"You're right; God does work in mysterious ways: he gave you a brain and yet, you were destined not to use it."

"You wound me…"

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

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**13:03**** hrs.******

****

A woman selling flowers seemed only an outstretched hand away and then, she suddenly blurred and faded into the scenery. 

The image of a boy and a girl carving something into a tree -most likely their own names- rolled by in a flurry of rainbow-like hues.

A homeless man sitting by a corner shop, holding up a sign, became nothing more than a wisp of wind and a distant memory. 

Memories were nice things to have; they did hurt sometimes, but they were worth a smile and the rebirth of situations and people long forgotten… or ever present.

Pain often sprung from the uncertain possibility of reliving said memories anew; however, with the passage of time, the ache weakened and so they became rays of light and sudden sunbeams on cloudy days.

Throughout a storm, they turned into a warm quilt of delightful colors and names, faces and cozy spots, circumstances and events.

They relived and revived into scenes from a dichromatic film, no longer sitting still in passive wait: one heartfelt embrace when thunder roared overhead; one gentle kiss when lightning struck.

Is there anything more beautiful and touching than a memory? Is there anything as wondrous as a sill frame in constant movement? Is there anything as melancholic as a smile accompanied by a crystalline tear? 

"You okay back there?" the taxi driver asked, looking into the rearview mirror.

"I'm fine, thank you. How long will it be until we reach the airport?"

"Depending on the traffic, I'd say a little over an hour."

The cabbie shrugged as his passenger chose to remain silent and, once again, became absorbed with staring out car window.

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

**13:40**** hrs.******

****

"Is it just me, or is this day going by real slow, painstakingly so?" a certain sable-haired high school student mused out loud.

"I swear, I see his lips moving, but all I hear is static! The only doubt in my mind is who's tuned to the wrong frequency, him or me?" was her colleague's mumbled reply as she stared off into the distance with glazed over eyes.

"Who knew learning about sound waves could be so… so… incredibly boring?!!"

"He's a bitter scientist that got fired from NASA and now makes a living teaching ignorant, uninterested high school students the basic laws of the universe: need I say more?" was Misao's tart response.

"Someone needs to slip mercury into his coffee or put one of those homemade bombs in his briefcase one of these days, preferably _this_ day."

"Don't give me any- actually, do you happen to have any bomb-building instructions handy?"

"Wake me when school's out, will you?" Kaoru requested, letting her head fall forward on the desk/extremely flat, rigid and uncomfortable pillow.

"But I thought it was my turn to nap during Physics class!" was the complaint that abandoned the weasel's lips.

"You suggested buying lingerie and God knows what else to entice Aoshi; I need rest to recover from the shock."

Misao face-faulted and growled, but promptly recovered, a clever idea coming to mind:

"Forget it! I'll just ask whoever's sitting in front of me to wake us up once Mr. Iha looses his voice"

"Like music to my- d'you know, I just had a strange sense of déjà vu." 

"Weird…" 

"Yeah…"

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**14:00**** hrs.******

****

He swept, he mopped, he sponged, he scrubbed, he polished; he acted like the freaking Queen of England was coming over for tea and biscuits.

_"Just a schoolgirl my ass!"_ Sanosuke thought to himself as he walked out the door.

In his mind, there was no need to see Kenshin further degrade himself -soon enough he would be wearing a dress, make up and his flaming red hair in pigtails-, or stick around to witness two mumbling idiots entirely disregard the attraction they felt for one another in the name of stubborn denial.

_"Love may well be a many splendored thing," he thought, __"but in the hands of those two, it's simply pathetic."_

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**14:18**** hrs.******

"Here's your boarding pass; flight #254 will be boarding at gate 12B. Thank you for choosing American Airlines and have a nice flight."

Commercial America suffered from rehearsed speeches, fake smiles and false undertones. Most families were not without these faults. Nearly all individuals were affected by this artificial protocol, counterfeit etiquette and deceptive cordiality of a plague.

Politesse, courteous manners and refinement ingrained since birth, as well as innate grace and finesse, incited the lone traveler that holds our interest to say that which few of the other journeyers that waited in line had bothered or taken the time to utter:

"Thank you."

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**15:14**** hrs.******

****

"You'll thank me later!"

And with that, she was gone, faster than a speeding bullet or someone whose pants had just caught fire.

And in that moment, Misao decided that this guy really had her friend all worked up: there had been actual fidgeting on Kaoru's part when grilled on the scoop about her new _love-interest and she had even asked how her hair looked before making Misao swear that she would stay away from the delicates department of all stores within a thousand mile radius and taking off. _

That made her wonder: who was this new mystery meat? Who was this Himura Kenshin who could make her very own nunnish Kamiya Kaoru's heart skip a beat or two?

Naturally, she assumed that a little investigating would be in order but, as for now, the mall had her name on it; crossing one's fingers behind one's back invalidated a promise, right?

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**16:05**** hrs.******

****

Crossing her fingers and bracing herself for what was to come, Kaoru took a deep breath and fixedly glared at the apartment's door: so sue her if she had been hungry and stopped for a snack on the way over! No one could blame her, considering Tae's so-called spaghetti had proved to be more than she could chew –let alone swallow-, and having forgotten her watch on her dresser that morrow, she had no way of guessing if she was late or not. 

The elevator had been broken and she had had, therefore, to climb an impressive amount of flights of stairs before reaching her destination, which contributed to her erratic breathing and racy heart. 

Crossing her fingers and bracing herself for what was to come, Kaoru took another deep breath and fixedly glared at the door: so sue her if she was only making up excuses to cover for her nervousness! She could only his heart was beating as fast and as loud as her own…

On the other side of the loft's entrance, Kenshin fretted like never before in his life.

So what if she was five minutes late? Girls had a tendency to be fashionably tardy and he knew she didn't own a car; she would still show… right? 

Why was he acting fifteen again? This was ridiculous, silly and if Sano were there, there was no doubt in Kenshin's mind that he would be laughing hysterically.

He couldn't help but wonder though… did she have a lump in her throat and a knot in her stomach too? Were her palms as sweaty and was he throat as dry?

The doorbell rang.

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

****

**16:05**** hrs.******

****

** Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I would like to welcome you all to flight #254, destination…**

This was a baby crying, this was a seatbelt clicking all buckled up, this was a man sneezing and this was bubblegum popping: this was an airplane cabin.

This was a heart beating steadily, this was a brain processing, this was called putting up a front and this was fighting back tears: this was how it felt to force oneself to keep on breathing.

The plan was simple enough: take off, read a book, watch a movie, sleep a while, land, go through airport formalities, pick up luggage, search for payphone and make a call that no one in their right mind would feel at ease doing; all in all, nothing much to worry about.

** …oxygen mask will automatically deploy from above your seat. Pull the facemask towards you… **

"Breathe. Just breathe."

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****

**16:06**** hrs.******

****

"Hi."

"Hey!"  
  
__

_ "When she draws up the corners of her mouth into a dazzling smile, she reveals the cutest of dimples…"_

_"When he smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkle up adorably…__"_

He stepped aside and she walked in. The door shut itself closed.

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_Time to let this pass   
(the time it takes, the time it takes to let go)   
Time runs through our veins   
(it starts and stops and starts and stops again)   
We don't stand a chance in this threadbare time   
(the time it takes, the time it takes to let go)   
Time to let this pass   
(the time it takes, the time it takes to let go)_

                   **-Understanding in a Car Crash, by _Thursday_.**

_Reviewer Responses:_

**To missaw: **Sorry that I couldn't give you your Christmas gift, but to make up for it, this chapter is much longer than normal and I would still like to offer this chapter to you, in celebration of the New year instead. My sister also has a terrible singing voice and I am thankful that she doesn't enjoy caroling. However, if you decide to get up on your chair and start singing, I won't mind; your reviews are so lovely, they make up for anything! Thanks tons and bye now!

**To Kakiyaku Mai:** I didn't get if that last part of your review was meant to be sarcastic or not… I guess my perception's getting rusty. Thanks for commenting and please, feel free to continue reading my story and drop a line once in a while.

**To chibi-tanuki:** Thanks! Update soon? Unfortunately, not as soon as I would have liked; I'll try to do something about that…

**To VanyD:** As soon as I have the time, I'll be sure to go check your fic, kay? I notice you left two reviews for me, which means that you have been anxious about this installment: I hope that I did not let you down or defraud your expectations. I am very happy to hear that chapter 11 was your favorite, given that it happens to be mine as well! I am incredibly sorry about the delays and the extended periods of silence between chapters: I'll try to do something about that, but you must understand that, sadly, I need a lot of time to write. I know where the story is going and I have a thousand ideas for it, but it sort of has a mind of its own and writes itself out. With every unexpected turn I take, I have to make amends and guide the storyline back onto its initial track; let's say that this fanfic is kind of like a runaway train and, most of the time, not even _I know what to expect. I do appreciate you putting up with me though, so thank you for the patience and for such flattering reviews!_

**To leiko47seta:** Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Your review was one of the most uplifting ones I've received to date! _Monk really is a funny show, isn't it? I would have to agree with you: my take on life isn't all that __common, but I suppose it could be even more messed up than it already is. ^_~  Do keep reviewing, and sorry about my little creative breaks: I hear they aren't that popular…_

**To EnjeruJoshin:** Oh, I don't know… Topping a marriage proposal might be tough, but saying that headbangers take notes from me? Not bad, not bad at all… In fact, I think it's just one notch down from the marriage proposal which, FYI, I'm still considering: hey, all that Rurouni Kenshin stuff sounds really tempting!  Thank you for being such an original reviewer: it's people like you that make all difference. When I am able, I'm going to go read one of your fics; I'm sure that you are only underestimating yourself and that your writing can be quite powerful and emotional. Never put yourself down, kay? Till next chapter, big bear hugs!

**To Ocean Fish:** Hello deary! As it would be, you are the only person to answer my question about Kenshin's studies and… you got it right! What tipped you off? Was it the mention of protractors or how neat he is? Possibilities are infinite… Hmm… Imagine if there actually were Rurouni Kenshin action figures… I think there would probably be a stampede of insane fans flooding all toy stores as we speak! You would make a great salesperson for Mattel! Anyhow, storywise, K+K are not going to get it on… at least not yet. At the moment, it's a bit too early for our lovebirds to take such a big step; they are, after all, still discovering each other and there are still plenty of well-kept secrets that must be unveiled. Well pookie, I'm tired so it's good night to you, till next we meet again. Bye!

Bye people. Don't forget to review and don't forget to be intrigued!   

_   _

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	13. Being Chopped Liver A House Special

_STANDARD DICLAIMERS APPLY:_ What a commonplace, clichéd, banal and drearily platitudinous thing it is for a fanfiction author to post a disclaimer…

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**Quick little message from author: **Okay, here goes: this chapter has been written, re-written, re re-written, torn to shreds, written from scratch yet again and finally it has been, after me passing through all the phases of loathing that I can possibly muster for something I write then crossing that thin line between love and hate anew, uploaded and delicately placed in your hands. May you be the ones to judge if it was worth the wait or not; may I be the one to bash my head against the computer screen for taking so damned long.

To all of you readers, thank you for your patience and for your consistency, so unlike my own.

P.S: Did anyone else notice how cute Jude Law was in "Cold Mountain"? It's a pretty average movie, but that man is oh so dreamy… ^___^

Also, songs that I worked with for this chapter: "All along the Watchtower" - Jimi Hendrix, "Little Wing" – Jimi Hendrix, "Case of You" – Joni Mitchell, "Roads" – Portishead and too many others to count.

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**Chapter 13: Being Chopped Liver – A House Special.**

It was confusing, to say the least. There he was, going off about progressions and logarithms, and she wasn't even snuggling against the table or remotely fazed by her eyes collecting 'beachfuls' of the sandman's magic dust powder.

True to her nature, she wasn't exactly concentrating or paying mathematics any heed, although focused, alert and very much awake, she indeed was…

_"The way his bangs frame his face and cover his somewhat exotic eyes -I wonder if 'exotic' could be the correct term for… gosh, I can't even bring myself to describe them!- is so…so…just  **is** in such an all encompassing sense of that very verb._

_Christ! What am I thinking?!! Some writer I'm going to turn out to be if I can't even think up a proper account of some stupid boy's stupid eyes!_

_Although…Come to think of it, he is anything **but** stupid. It never occurred to me that a guy spouting formulas could strike me as sexy… WHOA!!! Did I just consider Kenshin Himura 'sexy'??? _

_Actually…How come it took me so long to assess potential sensuousness when in the presence of sizzling hot? WHOA!!! Did I just use the words 'sensuousness', 'sizzling' and 'hot' in the same sentence???_

_I sincerely try my best to emulate Simone de Beauvoir and Charlotte Brontë, but for some unfathomable reason, my thoughts keep taking a distinct Danielle Steele and Judith Krantz U-turn; V.C. Andrews might be a commendable authoress in her own right and genre, but I'd much rather my love stories hold, if only a pale resemblance to a Jane Austen novel. _

_WHOA!!! And, just for good measure: double whoa!!! How, when, where and why did Mr. Tangent over here become related to the terminology 'love story' in this seriously warped brain of mine??? Groan…_

_Why do I get the feeling that I have myself another Charlie Brown conundrum in my hands? And why exactly is it that I know that, just as Lucy will predictably withdraw the football right before kick-off, I won't know what hit me when all's said and done???_

_Groan…" _

Kenshin stole a glimpse of her upturned face from the corner of his eye and decided that calling it quits for the day would probably, and much to his appeasement, wipe the frustrated frown she was sporting off her face in no time.

"So, in fact, the tangent of an obtuse angle is… more than enough information for us to call it a day, or am I mistaken?" he stated good-naturedly. And sure enough, there was that smile that he was coming to appreciate more and more by the minute…

"If I say that you couldn't be further away from the truth, will you hold me to it?" she teased affably.

"Unless you promise that splendorous smile of relief is solely reserved for the end of a study session and not for getting rid of me..." he mock-threatened, going along with the cordial, polite tone of their quaint little exchange. 

"That could quite well be the easiest deal I've ever had to cut in my life!" she said, all spring showers and 'read between my lines' batting of eyelashes. 

"Am I to assume that negotiation is not one of your favorite activities?" Kenshin hinted at a well known fact, considering the girl's 'my way or the highway' attitude.

"I'm seventeen: I leave negotiation up to the stiffs in suits."

"Not a big fan of lawyers, I take it."

"There are so many jokes that could serve as valid follow-ups to that sentence that I refrain from making further comments."

Both tutor and mentor laughed heartily at the expense of the judiciary system and the elder of the two had to recognize that the last thing he ever wanted her to do was close herself off and 'refrain from making further comments'. 

It was odd, but it had been a while now since he had last felt such a great need to know what someone else thought about anything and everything. 

They had been going at it for some time: plus signs and square roots interrupted by a few spaced out intervals of good-humored chit-chat. Her company proved to be quite enjoyable, but considering their little stroll at the beginning of the week, that should not have come as a surprise, and thus, he found himself falling victim to the time-old adage _"thy own words_ _will come back to haunt thee or, even worse, bite thee in the arse"_:why _hadn't_ he asked her out on a real date? Why wouldn't he and why couldn't he?

Well, Sano's smug grin and 'I told you so' did sound like valid enough reasons, but somehow, he knew her smile could easily override every one and all of his defenses; no one had just ever thought to invent a Kaoru-proof vest and that was very unfortunate for those who wished to keep their distance from the world, as was his case. 

It was inevitable though: she was so alive and witty and real… She was the light that would draw all moths, fireflies and butterflies to its flame, where they would be bound to give in to the heat and eventually consume themselves; she had a magnetic pull far to reminiscent of… no. No, that wasn't at all true, they were both completely different: Tomoe had never kindled such a warm hearth in her eyes, had never been such a breath of fresh air. Tomoe had never been as carefree, had never been as pure; Tomoe had never been that much unlike himself…

Now he remembered –he remembered all too clearly as it was- why dating Kaoru wasn't a possibility: years were not the only thing to keep them apart…

"So… you really _do_ consider silence to be one of the world's greatest treasures, don't you?" the teenager asked after a prolonged bout of silence took over, a period wherein the redhead seemed to be a thousand light years from ground control. 

"And you really have it in for lawyers." he amended all too quickly, pretending to not have ever zoned out or come into close contact with harsh truths.

Kaoru arched an eyebrow and grimaced: who did he think he was kidding? If only she could get a glimpse of that which went through that pretty little head of his and wipe it clear of the thoughts that, quite obviously, troubled him! He seriously was a disturbed individual and she had to wonder: what was it that she saw in him, again?

"Evasiveness is not a good color on you Kenshin, but I'm willing to let this one slide… for now." she supplied, sighing at his blank, wide-eyed, assumingly innocent stare, and decided that it really would be best to leave this type of constructive criticism pile up until the oncoming holidays when she could make certain suggestions for _someone's_ list of New Year's resolutions. "Actually, at some point of my life, I considered becoming a tailor suited Ally Mcbeal, only… things change."

"I believe Darwin referred to it as evolution Kaoru." he punned, winking an eye at her to ease the airs of superiority right out of that sentence.

The reward he obtained in exchange for his quick wit was a suddenly all too shy young lady, chewing on her pencil, bravely fighting off the urge to melt into a puddle of mush at his feet.  

Averting her eyes to an unexpectedly fascinating book cover, Kaoru gathered that maybe it didn't come down to what she had seen in him, but rather what she had _heard_ from him: her name on the tip of his tongue was right up there with an aria of 'The Magical Flute'! Not that she had ever heard one note of Mozart's masterpiece before, but everyone seemed to think it was sound worthy of any gods' ears. 

Not that she was polytheist, but sayings like that one usually dealt with the almighty Zeus and the rest of the inhabitants of Mount Olympus. 

Not that she was all that well-versed in ancient Greek lore to know what kind of music would have been popular or heavenly enough for deities to begin with. Not that…

Her mind was in a jumble and she wasn't managing to sort through its entirely useless trivia and bring herself back to the real world, the one where conversations between two people sitting by themselves in a room should not be lost in translation, or a lack of telepathic abilities, for that matter.   

Truth be told, it was rather a blessing in disguise that the man beside her couldn't read her thoughts, otherwise he would be made quite well aware of just how nervous he was making her. 

Why did this virtual stranger have such a hold on her??? Just what exactly was going on?!!

"Kaoru?"

What was going on? Was he that boring?  He knew he wasn't a very funny person, but he hadn't thought he was _that_ bad at cracking a joke either! Her reaction, however, was beginning to make him wonder…

"Kaoru?"

"I don't know anything about you…"she muttered to herself, not really expecting him to pick up on her unconscious slip of the tongue.

"Sure you do!" he spoke up reassuringly, uncomfortably fidgeting in his seat: these situations rarely concluded on a light note, least of all with a happy ending…

"Not really," she said, vehemently shaking her head, wisps and tendrils of her silky hair coming loose from her ponytail at the sudden action, "I think I know more about Sanosuke than I do you: don't you find that strange?"

"He is more talkative than I am and what he doesn't want people to know, his girlfriend ends up making sure they find out." he justified, poker faced and unreadable.

"You make a good point: are you certain _you_ never considered becoming an attorney?" 

"When I was little I wanted to be either the ice-cream man or a fireman, but I think it's safe to say that, aside from that, an architect is pretty much all that I've always wanted to be."

"Well that's one mystery solved and now it all makes sense!"

"What makes sense?"

"The uncanny ability with numbers, for one. That, and all the weird cubic, circular and generally perfectly geometrically shaped whatchamacallits on your drawing table. Everything has finally come full circle!"

"My drawing table?" Kenshin was confused: how did she even know that he owned one? After all, they were sitting in the living area, and his good, old, reliable drawing table was in his… Oh right: Miss Kamiya's little ethyl induced sleepover! "That's right: I forgot you have been in my room before. I hope it wasn't too messy when you saw it."

Gawping and likewise sweat dropping, she had to ask herself: was he for real???

"Are you kidding me? I had to sneak a peek at the contents of your closet to figure out it _wasn't_ a girl's room: you're tidier than my obsessive compulsive clean-freak of a mother!"

"I'm positive that's not-"

"Kenshin, you didn't have one single article of clothing or anything else lying around on the floor! There wasn't even a pair of shoes in sight, your books are systematically stacked from largest to smallest and you happen to own a houseplant which, I'm completely confident, Sano has seen time and again, but is  likely  unaware of its existence. This apartment is cleaner than the whole of my house, you cook, you study archi- architect- architecture…" Eyes widening, she stuttered and trailed off, mentally going over the list of things she had said and drawing disturbing conclusions. Let's see: what else did she know about her one and only bodyguard? 

"You own at least one pair of Dockers, Sano and Megumi _assume_ that breaking up with your girlfriend is what has you down, you… umh… you get creepily sentimental on park benches: Kenshin, is there something you're not telling me?"

By this point, the guy in question wasn't sure which was more appropriate, to be insulted or amused. To be fair, this was an eerily ironic turn of events: the dangerously attractive tutee that had him assuaging wave after wave of hormonal want was… doubting his virility.

If he were honest with himself, he would follow through on the impulse to kiss that misconception right out of her. Of course, if he were to be true to his self he would finally stop being the screwed up victim of Sod's Law that he was and he needn't be adding an identity crisis to an already decidedly perplexing set of circumstances or, rather, unvoiced allegations. 

"I am clean. I'm organized. I am not a homosexual." he recited briskly, years of patience and learning to ignore his best friend's teasing the only things keeping him from growling in exasperation: maybe he should cut his hair off or something; if he wasn't being mistaken for a girl, he was being taken for the next Sir Elton John in an extravagant wig.

But he did so like his hair the way it was…

Relief and horror clashed within cerulean orbs: he was straight! He was straight and available and he liked girls, he liked 'LIKED' girls… and she had implied otherwise to his face. He was heterosexual and she was elated and… embarrassed as embarrassed can be.

"Oh really? Well… um… that's good to know! Not that if you had been it would have been an issue or anything! Of course, if you had been, I wouldn't be feeling like such a first-class idiot right now, given that my supposition would have been clearly justified and getting something like that out in the open would have helped us solidify our friendship and build up some sort of trust, but hey… looks like in the here and now, it really wasn't all that appropriate now, was it? 

I'm sorry about that, I sincerely didn't mean to offend you or embarrass myself in the process; I may be many things, but masochist is not one of them and it is not, contrary to popular belief, my life's purpose to be rude and impudent, it just more often than not seems that way: I guess the foot in mouth syndrome tends to get the best of me, wouldn't you agree? 

Kenshin, I truly am sorry: I know most straight guys have a weird thing against being wrongly taken for gay, but note that I had only the best of intentions at heart and that it never crossed my mind to offend you and that it would make me ever so happy if you decided to jump in at any point of my little soliloquy and assure me that you, in fact, don't hate me because I am devastatingly aware that I screwed up when things were going so well and we were acting so civil towards one another and I wasn't even on the brink of death and you weren't trading your regular clothes for anything spandex and a cape in a phone booth somewhere and really, at any moment that you feel like cutting in and stopping me, feel free to do so!  I would have no qualms in that respect, considering that I'm like a train wreck when I get like this, and I should warn you that it doesn't get any better than this, it goes downhill and only grows worse with every passing word, every breath, every moronic thought, every-" 

"Granted I didn't much care for your mix up and when you ramble it's difficult to make out what you mean to say, but, if it makes you feel any better, you wouldn't be the first person to suggest something of the sort and I'm fairly certain you won't be the last, so no, you didn't muck up as badly as you believe. 

Besides, it's rather endearing, the way you start running out of breath but ignore it in favor of spouting more gibberish as a means of apology." Kenshin mercifully decided to 'jump in' and 'cut her off' as she had, at some point or another, wisely suggested.

Processing and digesting the politely, diplomatically laid out information wasn't that easy a feat and Kaoru could only assume that he had accepted her apology, complimented and insulted her, all in the space of two intelligent, condensed sentences.

Physical manifestation of these realizations: blink, blink.

Verbal exteriorization in accord with the aforementioned somatic reflex: "I'm… flattered?"

"And I am starting to get hungry: perhaps dinner would be in order?" he asked, lightening the mood.

"You've already done so much for me today that I'm not about to let you slave over a stove on my account! I could cook, although you would just probably end up with food poisoning…" 

"Fine, then I propose we eat out."

"Oh… yeah… listen, this is a tad embarrassing but, do you remember the whole party thing and how I got grounded because of it?" Two little index fingers made contact as a sheepish expression overtook the planes of her face.

"I vaguely seem to recall…" 

"Weeeell… funny thing: my allowance kind of got temporarily cut off and due to, mainly that and an unhealthy addiction to overpriced CD's, I am… relatively broke. So… as trying to my pride as coughing up the truth is, my wallet's collecting lint and keeping my mouth shut about it won't make a money tree sprout out and shoot up in my backyard like a magic beanstalk we have all heard of countless times. I really wish I could, but I can't accept your offer: no dough means no dough, both in the figurative and literal sense."

"Don't worry Kaoru: I wasn't going to let you pay all the same."

Now, did he _really_ expect to have that sit well with our 21st century maiden?   

"Oh. In that case… Hey, wait a sec! How come? We're friends and students who, believe it or not, _don't_ get paid to learn stuff: Dutch's the only way to go!"

"How about we do it your way next time and settle for it being my treat this time around? You have no money, both our stomachs are growling, we're overworked and what kind of a gentleman would I be if, after extending a dinner invitation, I didn't pick up the check?"

Kenshin could not get over the fact that he had deemed himself _overworked_!

"Sano or any random guy at my school?"

Kaoru could not stop going over just the thought of a guy willingly paying a meal for two without any ulterior motives and a booty call being the predominant reasons for such a magnanimous act- even Kaz mooched off of her!

"Pack up your things while I leave a note for Sano on the fridge, 'kay?" he kindly beseeched, flashing her a warm smile before disappearing behind the kitchen counter. 

Nice thing about lofts: unless your host slips off to his bedroom or rummages through the lower kitchen compartments for a short while, he is always within your line of sight and, to be honest, with certain people, you just don't want to miss a thing. 

This Kenshin Himura, he truly was a piece of work: upstanding scholar, not the worst dresser she'd ever met, weirdly obsessed with hygiene, sometimes a human shield; what was there not to like? Oh, if she started counting, she would run out of fingers. Although…

Apparently having found what he was searching for, which seemed to be a yellow pad of post-its, the boy caught under her scrutinizing glare looked up from his hastily jotted message and locked eyes with her: for the space of a heartbeat, her little list of pros and cons  was lost in the ebbing tide of  a lilac ocean. Gracing Kaoru with a wink, he turned around and stuck the piece of paper on the refrigerator's cool surface.

Hoping against hope that she wasn't developing asthma, the girl struggled to catch her breath while waiting for a sudden bout of arrhythmia to pass. 

Intent on regaining her composure, she was so inclined to stash her school material away when the phone rang and she absently craned her head towards the source.

Kenshin picked up the phone and paced towards his room, uttering a 'hello' that she barely made out. Her eyes silently followed his retreat, drinking up every aspect of him, the bunching of every muscle, every crease in his shirt, and every lock of his hair.

_"I know next to nothing about you, but I feel…I feel dizzy and lightheaded around you. I don't really know you, but I can't stop thinking about you: is that okay?"_

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

Timing had never been his strong suit. Luck had rarely been on his side. Why should today, of all days, have been any different? Why should he have been spared when he, ultimately, didn't deserve it? So much for dinner…

It took Kenshin a few minutes to recover, minutes wherein he attempted to figure out what he would say once he stepped out of his room, wherein he uselessly sought out to rearrange his life and ponder over how exactly he could have done things differently.

Statistically speaking, every four out of five days he disliked his life; every one out of five days, he detested it beyond all reason.

_"Tomoe, why now?"_

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

_"How could I ask him? How could I tell him not to go after her? Do I own him? Do I even have a say in this? As a matter of fact, is it any of my business?_

_I hate having so many questions. I hate the bubbles in a champagne glass. I feel much more comfortable with exclamation points rather than with question marks. I refuse to be a question mark!_

_Don't look at me with those pleading eyes Kenshin! Don't look at me as if red traffic lights were flickering on and off in my eyes: I'm not a complete imbecile; I know what you have to do. Just please… don't ask me to say it, don't beg me to 'okay' it: I'm a girl for crying out loud! Don't you know anything about women? We need well-founded reasons to bicker and complain in the future; if I agree, how will I ever be able to hold this over your head? Why do you have to be so clueless?_

_Besides, we aren't dating, we haven't even kissed; heck, I don't belong to you and you most definitely don't belong to me: blessed with suffocating freedom are we! _

_After all, I just happened to bump into you one day on the street, wake up inexplicably in your bed with the worst hangover of all time and get rescued from a nasty hit-and-run incident before it came to pass thanks to your fantastic spider-man senses… or something. _

_The point is, fate seems to keep pushing us together in the most unlikely of circumstances… but who believes in destiny anyway?   _

_Oh, stop being so silent already! Don't give me that look! I know this is something you have to do; I know you still aren't over her: so go already! _

_Do you really think I can stop you? What makes either one of us think that I would even want to?!! Ridiculous! Preposterous! Insulting! _

_*Sigh* He's still waiting for the green light, isn't he?  …Alright already!"_

"So… what are you waiting for?" Kaoru finally spoke up.

"Oro? What do you mean?"

"Well, she just called you from the airport; the least you could do is go pick her up."

"Really? The least I can do is… go pick her up? What about dinner though? You… are hungry… aren't you?" Kenshin stuttered doubtfully: he was standing her up to head off and meet up with his ex-girlfriend and she was taking it…well? Somehow, this new-found knowledge did not make him feel as good as it ought.

_"Inward VERY LOUD groan: never met a denser guy, that's for sure! I guess there's no way I'm ever going to be able to use this against him… not that I ever had a choice to begin with, especially since Tomoe's back in the picture and… oh well: hope come goes, hope goes._

_Now: for the fake, broad, cheery grin!"_

"Of course it is! Don't mind me: there actually _is_ food in my house, however odd that might sound. Go fetch her with a clear conscience: let it not be said that you let me starve to death."

_"Excellent! Remind me to offer Misao free acting lessons any day!"_

"I guess… it makes sense. We did break up solely because of her opportunity overseas, not because we grew to hate each other or anything, and I don't have a girlfriend that would be upset with me for volunteering to go get her, do I?" he rationalized, taking in sidelong glances of the high school senior that carried herself as if someone had just told her she was getting a new puppy instead of being abandoned in a swamp of oozing, confusing, unresolved emotional whatnots. Was she really okay with all of this?

"None that I know of!" 

_"Wow! For a minute there, I swear I almost had **me** fooled! Whatever… It's not like I care if he sees her again. It's not like if I ever thought we stood a chance._

_Oh, so there's a **'we'** now? Good one Kaoru: way to bury yourself deeper into that pint of Häagen Dazs tonight!"_

Kenshin cleared his throat, still slightly unsure about all of this: from what he knew about girls and their ways, she was meant to be throwing a fit right about now, not acting all demure and happy for him. 

Well, not that she shouldn't be happy because, really, they weren't even proper friends yet, let alone anything that would require going past that barrier of amiability. Still, he wished he felt half as happy as her smile proclaimed her to be…

"Well, if you _really_ don't mind, then I suppose I could take a rain check for tonight…" he drawled suspiciously. 

Had it only been his imagination, or had she practically face-faulted just then? No, she was still standing firmly before him, a lopsided smile spread taut across her face.

Maybe he should consider making an appointment with his ophthalmologist, as a preventive measure and what have you.  

"Rain check it is then!"

"Okay then, though I insist that you let me drop you off at your house before I make ways for the airport."

"Actually… could we stop by the 7-Eleven?"

"Uh… sure. Is there anything in particular that you have to buy right now though, if you don't mind my asking…?"

"Oh, no, nothing in particular really, I just had a sudden craving for ice-cream and remembered that we're out of it at home."

The soon-to-be architect dug his car keys into his corduroy's back pocket and opened the apartment door to let the both of them out. 

"You have quite a sweet-tooth, don't you?" he remarked innocently, giving her one of those rare, disarming smiles of his that made her feel all corny and sappy inside.

Kaoru giggled nervously and inconspicuously wiped the sweat off her brow.

"You could say that…"

Forget 'Strawberry Cheesecake'; moving on to a more hardcore flavor of ice-cream like 'Belgian Chocolate' was, officially, a must!

Goodbye Kenshin. Goodbye uneasiness. Hello depression. Hello giant mouthfuls of sugar. Hello endorphins!

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

Everything was such a mess. What was he supposed to say? Was there a proper greeting for this kind of thing?

Oh well, 'proper' had never been his way anyways; that said, 'proper' would just have to go right out the window.

He rang the doorbell and waited… impatiently, but he waited nonetheless: the guy deserved at least some credit.

The door flew open and he couldn't help but smirk: it felt so good to be right, even if the situation was entirely wrong to begin with…

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

Everything was such a mess. What was he supposed to say? Was he meant to say anything at all? 

Of all the things that could have come to pass, of all the things he could have endured, he wasn't sure that this he could handle. 

The wheels were in motion, he was finally adapting or, at best, trying to adapt, but this new development was bound to put a whole shitload of things on hold and he wasn't necessarily feeling the love or coming round to appreciate this likelihood. 

His feelings on this were not something he could guarantee: at the moment he felt all over the place and hesitant, perhaps even iffy. 

She had always meant so much to him; she always would. Only…

Only for some undisclosed reason, there was a face he could not erase from his mind's eye, not right now. There was this strange, misfit of a girl that plagued his thoughts and turned his life upside-down in a cinch. There was this down-to-earth, open and very real girl that should not be but, for better or worse, was.

"Tomoe…" he whispered as he saw those haunting eyes and her slim figure drawing ever closer.

There was this woman, a tragically beautiful one that meant so much to him; that would always mean so much to him.

Everything was such a mess. What was he supposed to say? Where were the words?

"Kenshin…"

There was this girl, but in that split second there was only enough breath in his lungs for one woman.

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The biggest question of all regarding human nature and affection would have to be: how many times shall the red string of fate be ignored? 

As Oliver Wendell Holmes put it: "What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us".

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_Reviewer Responses:_

**To no time to waste: **I'm sorry that on my last 'reviewer responses' segment I skipped you! It is only know that I noticed and I just wanted to make sure that you knew how valuable your reviews and words of encouragement are for me. Writer's block can be a major turn-off but a good review does away with that kind of thinking ASAP! Also, sorry for not updating as frequently as I should: it stresses me out as well.

**To Nigihayami Haruko: **Hey! No fair, really short review! ^_~  Just kidding! Every single little word is dearly appreciated and spices up my zest for cooking up a mean story. What is it with me and food analogies lately?  @_@ Ah well, thanks for your review and till next time!

**To Jade Dragon: **Now you know who the mystery person is: I bet you're not too pleased about it either. ^_~ Okay, the deal is I'm not American so, where I come from and in all the different places I've studied, in high school they give us a science overload and, believe you me, it 'aint pretty: makes me glad that part of my life is over and I'm an university gal now!  Thanks loads for your review, I'm happy to hear you're digging my story and I hope that you stay tuned, even if I've been wrongly taking a gazillion years to update lately. Bye!

**To DownTheBlockFromFred:** My loyal fan? Aaaaaaaaawwwww! That is so sweet! It makes me so happy and thrilled to hear someone say that! I hope you become a loyal reviewer too!!! I really am truly, very sorry about updating, but I think I've come to realize that sometimes I can be a really _slow_ writer; I know that that is not a good thing and that it isn't fair to the wonderful people like you out there for me to write at a pace that could rival "Granny's mad drivin' skillz" but… I'll try to work on it really hard, 'kay? I hope you liked this chapter and know that the way to my heart lies in offering me cookies and saying that my writing is neat (which means you've already eased your way in). Thankies!!!

**To Kakiyaku Mai:** No sweat! I'm just a relatively –more like borderline- paranoid person and since I can be pretty sarcastic when I feel up to it, I tend to make the wrong assumptions a lot. Your French wasn't that bad: where did you learn it? My best friend only knows how to say "je suis unique, magnifique et fantastique": yes, she's conceited, but I still love her for it, or rather in spite of it! I hope you continue to review in spite of my misunderstanding, bye now!

**To Aryanne:** I think you will readily agree with me if I say that K + K made total idiots of themselves in this chapter. See: just the way you like it! ^_~ Let me just say that it is an honor for me to have you reviewing my story, simply because "Silver Cross" is one of my favorites on this site. I find that your writing style flows incredibly well and that your plotline is amazing. I know you weren't looking forward to having Tomoe making an appearance (I know most people weren't) but have no fear, for it is not what you think! Or at least I think it isn't… Anyhow, update your story soon and I'll work on trying to make my update spurts more regular. Thanks loads and keep on reviewing me!

**To Misato-Katsuragi2: **Be confuzzled no more, for the mystery character has at last been revealed!!! Tell me, did you see it coming? Some people did, most didn't. Personally, I didn't want to see it happen, but being the omniscient narrator and writer of this tale and all, I am somewhat to blame for… this mix-up that is going to come about and screw over our favorite couple's life! Stay tuned, ne? Thank you for always supporting me in my writing ventures, it means so much!

**To VanyD:** Your reviews can never EVER be too long! Can my chapters ever be too long (especially taking into account how long I take to update)? I doubt most of the readers would agree with that! Hahaha. I'm glad you think my story is funny: enjoy it while it lasts, because I plan on taking an angsty plunge although, knowing me, it will probably be a joy ride. I intend to keep this as lighthearted as I can, although some more serious themes will be explored in the future. Thank you for reviewing, keep telling me what you like and don't like about my story. I love that you called me on sometimes taking it too far: for me, honesty is always the best policy! Till the next update! ^_~

**To missaw:** Well… Tomoe was on the plane: how do you like THAT for a plot twist?!! Am I evil or what??? Okay, sorry I took so long to update and I apologize for turning this into a habit. I don't smoke, but I update very, very sporadically: I don't know if I took up smoking which would be the bigger crime; I'm guessing it would be somewhere near a tie. Thank you for your constant encouragement; it's my light at the end of the tunnel. Bye bye!

**To EnjeruJoshin:** You should have bet money because you would be a millionaire since you guessed right: everyone, say hello to Tomoe! I can picture it now: everyone hunting me down for adding in one of the most misunderstood characters of anime into the mix. Oh well kiddoes, that's the way the cookie crumbles! I hope I can make her addition into something that ends up being enjoyable for all, lord knows I have only the best of intentions in mind! Or so I say… *snickers evilly*. You know, your reviews never fail to touch me. It is incredibly humbling and beautiful for me to hear that something I write can put someone else in considerably long lasting good mood! You are one of the bestest reviewers in the whole wide world!!! With those words, I do take my leave.

Show's over peeps… for now anyway! Tune in next time to find out what happens now that a certain 'someone' has come back to haunt us all… Tchauzinho! 


	14. The Nouvelle Cuisine

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: _If wishes...

**Quick little message from author: **I guess that now you all have every right to want to kill me; believe me, on several occasions I've been more than willing to contemplate and proceed with hanging myself. Okay, so this update is seriously late in coming (though, thankfully, the month isn't over yet), but I had a few obstacles to overcome before completing this chapter, one of them being getting and staying sick with the flu for a period of approximately two weeks (I'm still on meds; crappy immunological system and what have you). The other little bone that I was coerced and almost physically forced into picking was getting started on all the projects that I have to hand in this semester: I have a lovely photography project that I'm mapping out, I was at the beach today taking pictures and interviewing vendors and policemen precisely because of that class, I have a grammar seminar to present next Thursday that I'm doing all the artwork for (as well as an in depth analysis on the subject), I have to get cracking on an Oscar Wilde made-up interview that I have to hand in and do the front-cover for (my friends always rely on me to go artsy on any work we have to hand in and the cover is coming along great –very Andy Warhol-), besides tests to study for and organizing my History study-group since I basically head the darn thing. All in all, I'm swamped, however, that doesn't mean that I'm gonna slack off on this fic: it will take time, but I will see it through. Also, I have a few ideas going through my brain for an Inuyasha one-shot and a long complicated AU: I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about that!

Well, enough with the rambling: let's get it ON!     

**SOUNSTRACK: **Lisa Loeb – "I do" (acoustic version); Incubus – "Pardon Me" (acoustic version); Jack Johnson – "Flake"; K's Choice – "I Will Return to You"; Shakira – "Si Te Vas"; The Pretenders – Human.

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**Chapter 14: The Nouvelle Cuisine.**

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The doorbell rang. Backing away from the open fridge door, Kaoru smothered a growl. She was royally frustrated and in awe of how freakishly strong she could be, all at once: the loud buzzing outside her front door had snapped her out of her reverie and, somehow, she had managed to pull the refrigerator's door-handle right off its hinges, not something that she was particularly proud of. Come to think of it, did a door-handle or knob even _have_ hinges?

Perfect. This was just perfect. This was precisely the perfect way to end an already terrible, disastrous, completely harrowing day… one that still had several hours to go before, at long last, reaching its end. Perfect. This was just perfect.

Skidding out of the kitchen in her fuzzy frog slippers, powder pink hooded sweatshirt and forest green wind shorts, Kaoru stomped toward her empty house's main entrance, cautiously peered through the peephole, mumbled a thousand or so profanities under her breath and swung the tall oak door open wide, a pint of ice-cream neatly tucked under her arm.

"Sano what do you want?"

To say that our girl was in a foul mood was more than transparently obvious and inanely redundant.

Endowing her with his trademark arrogant smirk, Sanosuke Sagara sized Kaoru Kamiya up…and down… and back up again: precisely what he had expected; let it not be said that males are without a sixth sense!

"Some ice-cream would be nice…"he intoned sarcastically, the smile never leaving his face as he bored holes at the tub of Häagen Dazs that seemed to cry out 'Chick meltdown!' 'Comfort food!' and 'I got stood up: and a nice day to you too!' amongst other creative shirt logos that never quite made it to 'I'm with stupid!' standards.

"How did you get through the gate?" she questioned, biting back on the anger and the embarrassment that came along with getting caught wallowing in self pity and spoonfuls of creamy goodness.

"You mean the big plank of wood with roses round it? I figured I could skip that part, seeing as that wall you guys've got 'aint really tall or anything. Besides, I got the feeling that, unless I reached your front door, I wasn't getting in at all."

"What makes you think that standing on the porch makes a difference?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow and a little scoff.

"Is it just me or are you really defensive today? Sheesh, lighten up a bit will you! So he stood you up? It's not the end of the world!"

At that, Kaoru muttered a subdued grumble and stormed back inside the house, unwittingly leaving the door ajar, a sign that a certain man with an impish gleam in his eyes took the liberty of considering an invitation to let himself in and feel right at home.

"I take it you're not in a good mood…" he ventured stating as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Ya think?!" she exclaimed sharply, aggressively slamming the Belgian chocolate ice-cream pint on the counter and crossly sticking a spoon smack down the middle of the frosty substance.

"By the way, I just love that thing that you've got going for your hair there…" Sano spoofed, nodding his head toward the messy mop of black Medusa-like tendrils that was Kaoru's hairdo.

"Well excuse _me _for being home alone and not expecting any company!" she yelled, glaring daggers at her uninvited, sorry excuse for a houseguest.

"Where are your folks?" he inquired, scrunching up his nose in confusion.

"Out. They're most likely playing Pictionary and eating peanuts at some boring old couple's condo."

"That… really makes me cringe at the thought of growing up!"

"You and me both, Peter Pan," the young girl commented, a thoughtful expression crossing her features before being replaced by a wary, suspicious one, "Again, what are you doing here Sano? What do you want?"

"And we were just starting to bond!" the coffee-eyed brunet said, doing his best impression of a dejected six year old.

"I'm waiting…" she stood her ground, one hand on her hip, one foot tapping away against the tile floor as if there were no tomorrow.

He had to admit, she was persistent and obstinate like hell; not one to beat around the bush, really: why were all the women that ever waltzed into his life such a hassle? One thing was without question: Kenshin owed him BIG. 

Sometimes, he had to think hard and remind himself why it was exactly that he was friends with the densest man in the solar system…

With a disheartened sigh for a prelude, he decided to dive right in and salvage what he could from the wreckage: he hated getting stuck with damage control!

"I called our beloved mutual schmuck on his cell and he said some things; I found a post-it stuck on my fridge and it contradicted some things. The information on the post-it made sense; the little chat I had with him… not so much."

"What does your neuron deficiency have to do with me?"

"The idiot was going to be smart and take you out to dinner but Tomoe showed up out of the blue and the script suffered major rewriting: I'd say it has plenty to do with you." He continued, undeterred by her guarded attitude.

Now, at that she had to snort: _she_ had nothing to do with anything, _she_ didn't have any kind of say or influence in any decisions made that afternoon that quickly slipped into night and, ultimately, it was crystal clear that _she_ didn't count. How was any of this supposed to have plenty to do with her again?

"Not really. Look Sano, we were just probably going to eat at a Taco Bell or something; whatever happened to change those plans, it's no biggie."

_"Aloof Kaoru, focus on seeming at all times uncaring and aloof. Think 'Aoshi'… only a bit more alive… and a little less laconic."_

"No biggie, hunh? Well, the huge tub of chocolate ice-cream sitting pretty in this kitchen begs to differ, missy."

"If you must know, I happen to have quite the sweet tooth!"

"If you wanna keep lying to yourself and avoid how you're feeling about all of this, I can't stop you; I've been told it's a free country."

"I'M _NOT_ LYING!!! I went over to your place to study with the man! Study: S-T-U-D-Y!  If _after_ the study session we considered grabbing a bite to eat to keep our stomachs from embarrassingly growling at each other before they developed a new code of communication amongst themselves, it was only an extra to the whole deal, not something planned and most certainly not something to get all riled up about! I solemnly refuse to loose sleep over this!"

"Believe me missy, there's no doubt in my mind that both your stomachs could develop an understanding waaay before your mouths ever do. Now, you just keep telling yourself whatever helps you get through the day. Meanwhile, I have only one question for you: have you lost an appetite over this?  I know that your good humour -for one- is an official goner, but is your will to eat legally dead as well?" Sanosuke asked, crossing his arms in a smug manner, as he leaned his back against the kitchen island.

"Taunt, jibe and jeer all you want, but if you must know, your roommate and I get along just fine; we just don't happen to get along romantically speaking… not that either one of us would even want that to be a possibility. As for dinner, I haven't eaten anything."

Although Kaoru seemed particularly satisfied by the way she had responded to Sano's _false_ accusations -with only one slight second of hesitation from her part-, the tall, lean, dark-eyed man that had shown up at her front door without RSVPing or receiving an initial invite to respond to, for that matter, was giving her a _very_ dry look. 

When he, without breaking the unnerving eye contact, raised an eyebrow in an act of pure defiance, the girl in cutesy-wootsy frog slippers standing across from him reached her final straw: thus, cutesy-wootsy went right out the widow…

"YET, YOU JERK! I HAVEN'T EATEN ANYTHING YET! Your idiot friend did NOT turn me into one of those lovesick bimbos who skip meals, just because he so happened to chose his ex-girlfriend over me!!!"

"Right… Well, two words: 'Freudian' and 'slip'."

"Are you getting smart with me?!!"

"Tell me: what were you planning on eating?"

A question for a question and skepticism were making it harder and harder for the truth to be denied. Oh well, one should never underestimate the power of denial…

"Ice-cream, not that it's any of your business!" she yelled, seconds away from giving him a shiner; she was stressed out enough as it was without him adding fuel to the flames.

"So, you're doing the typical whiny-female-knocks-herself-out-on-an-ice-cream-binge deal, that it? Don't let me keep you from your frozen emotional dampener then."

"Who taught you such big words? Besides, the only emotional dampener I can see for miles is a stupid inanimate object called phone that could easily pass as a cold and evil harbinger of bad news!"

"No real food for you… something make you loose your appetite?" he teased, avidly scanning the room with his eyes. Come to think of it, he was kind of hungry; if he managed to coax her into eating, then perhaps he could join her?

"_Nothing_ has made me loose my appetite, thank you very much! And, if you must know, I was thinking about making myself a…a… a salad."

_"That's right Kaoru; you suck it up and make all dejected women everywhere proud! Pretend that the idea of having to taste, chew and swallow anything of your own concoction sounds appealing…as opposed to nauseating…"_

"Well, don't let me stop you. The last thing I need is for a scrawny girl like you to die of malnourishment on my watch: Kenshin would never let me live it down."

Salad. She was going to eat salad. What was she, on a diet or something? Was it an innately female thing to solve any and all food related problems with the magical word 'salad'? For fuck's sake: the girl was going to down a bucketful of ice-cream all by herself; did she really think that eating a salad afterwards would suppress the amount of calories initially ingested? Besides, salads weren't precisely share-worthy material and they never succeeded at filling up the void in anyone's stomach…

"I doubt your friend would even notice. As dense as he is, he'd probably think I was taking an exaggeratedly long nap rather than sleeping eternally." she uttered sardonically and, it saddened her to recognize, a tad bitterly. It couldn't be helped though: she was truly putting too much of a fight against her feelings and her restraint was bound to crumble sooner or later. 

"So the dimwit's finally showing his true colors, hunh?" 

"I think he can't help but show them! Idiocy reflected in blank stares is not something a person can easily hide…" she voiced as she slammed cupboard after cupboard in her search for a salad bowl, recalling how a certain red-haired man had assessed a certain unpleasant situation in a way that was beyond clueless.

"Let me get this straight: you're not mad at him, but you can't seem to stop insulting him or bring yourself to pronounce his name… Am I missing something?"

In all honesty, Sano was a simple man and this… this was all too confusing and starting to get out of hand: whoever said that a woman's mind was a mystery had been dead on. Of course he knew she was upset; the part he didn't get was why she didn't give up the act and be up front about all that sentimental mushy stuff already: she could really save them both the time and the energy!

"A brain", came the flat, monotone retort.

"Hey! I didn't get into college for nothing you know!"

"It's called a football scholarship…"

"Why do people keep saying that like it's a bad thing? There's so much prejudice against us athletes!"

"The correct term would be 'dumb jocks': I presume that you have, more than likely, heard it many times…"

"That and a thousand other versions of it, everyday, straight from my twisted, devil of a sweetie pie's mouth!" he proclaimed, a long suffering sigh being the final touch to his ode for the leading lady in his life. 

"More like lemon-pie! You can't quite get the sour taste out of your mouth after a meeting with your girlfriend, I'm sorry to say."

"Don't I know it…"

Kaoru knew the slumping of depressed shoulders when she saw it and, at that particular time, her unwanted companion was slouching to the point of severe 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' lordosis.

As much as she was displeased by his attitude at the moment, she couldn't very well deny him a helping hand; something was bothering him and, in his own kooky way, she knew he had only been trying to assist her in her troubles: it was time that she did the same.

Gently placing a hand on his shoulder she voiced her concern and felt him tense up in response, most likely feeling guilty at being caught with his hand in the cookie jar, metaphorically speaking:

"Is something wrong?"

"Yeah… there is… I still don't see any sliced up lettuce…"

With a slight smile softening her features, Kaoru realized that, if there was anything whatsoever that she and this annoying man could possibly have in common, it was abnegation. 

She _was_ upset about the turning of tides that had come to pass that evening, but she wasn't comfortable enough with her feelings to admit to it; she didn't know what was bringing him down –although she had a fair enough idea of whom it involved- but she knew that he too was in a similar boat, if not the very same one as herself. 

With that in mind, the thought of them talking things out didn't sound like such a bad idea: being two castaway peas in a pod, they had to stick together, did they not?    

Besides, the cat was already out of the bag and striving to be obnoxious and elusive on an empty stomach was beginning to take its toll on her…

"Nor will you see any sliced up vegetables: I can't cook worth wasabi, squash, salad or any food group known to man." she confessed.

"Technically, making salad's not cooking."

"You would think it impossible to screw up a salad, wouldn't you?" she commented, hefting her body into a sitting position atop the kitchen counter.

"Actually, yeah." Sano said, taking a seat beside her.

"Believe me, it's not something I take particular pride and joy in, but you don't want me going anywhere near all the goods in this room; basically, you want me to keep myself at least ten paces away from the fridge and pantry at all times."

"So… I was right and you really weren't planning on eating anything, were you?"

"Oh… I was… only, I was thinking more along the lines of take-out than homemade. I have Domino's Pizza on speed-dial." 

"It's a real shame to give up on homemade considering the neat stock of ingredients you've got here."

"Of course the idea appeals to you! Free food every which way: that's your favorite kind, isn't it? The one on a zero-dollar budget availability scale?" she joked, feebly nudging her elbow against his ribs.

The alluded young man scrunched up his face and decided to get her back for that one:

"I was thinkin' about maybe whippin' us up some mean oven roasted spring vegetables and lemon and herb roasted chicken but, what with you having a stick up your butt and all, I take it back."

"Oh please, like you know how to cook!" she discredited with a roll of her eyes and a wave of her hands.

"Wanna bet?" he challenged; he could really use the money to cover the expenses for that little trip to Vegas he'd been planning…

"How much?" she inquired suspiciously; one could never be too careful with the guy, but she could really use the money, seeing as she was flat-out broke...

"First, you have to swear on your life that you won't tell a soul about this." he requested, hopping off the countertop.

"Like if I'm ever going to have to hold up to that promise…" 

Oh yes, to Sano easy money was always welcome, but the look on her face when the night was over… now _that_ would be priceless!

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

"This sucks!"

"You only brought this upon yourself, you know."

"How in the name of Emeril and his 'kick it up a notch' shtick was I supposed to know that you can do more than stuff your face when it comes down to food?!!"

"Stop whining and pay up!"

"With what: the lint in my pockets??? I only agreed to this stupid bet because I'm all wiped out; aside from that, there's not a single gambling bone in my body!"

"And how is that meant to be fair??? I bust my butt cooking dinner and I don't get paid or laid!"

"As much as I enjoyed dinner, I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last man alive!"

"This is a giant IOU that I'm gonna keep hanging over your head missy! And please, don't even dare joke around with that: the mental pictures I'm getting are not precisely pretty!"

"I had a bokken in here somewhere… Oh well, a frying pan will just have to do!"

"Whoa! What is it with you and domestic violence? First I get a good filling of board game, and now you want to smack me upside the head with a frying pan?"

"Or a wok; whichever is closest and handier…"

A pair of dirty plates and two empty cans of soda littered the pine kitchen table and set the scene for yet another not-so-friendly bantering match.

Against all odds and much to Kaoru's dismay, or delight -she wasn't too sure on that one point yet- , Sanosuke had proved his worth as quite the frugal gourmet, regaling them both with a scrumptious, mouth-watering repast that only served to solidify her theory on the possibility of sliding into parallel universes unawares. 

Small talk had been pleasant -as pleasant as the mechanics of the lazy bum/mood swinging female interrelation could allow, anyway- and after preferring a slipper over a pot or pan as a weapon and quick thinking turning a dish into a shield, there was an itch that the schoolgirl just absolutely _needed_ to scratch…

"So… how come no one knows you could have your own show on the Food Channel?" she cross-examined, meddling when, quite frankly, no one asked her to.

"Do I look like a pansy-ass chef to you?" he lectured with his customary 'it's not actually supposed to make sense' policy.

"Oh, I get it: it's a male, chauvinistic, ego-trip thing! Listen… does Kenshin look like a pansy architect to you?"

"Yes!!!" he declared, not a hint of doubt tingeing his voice.

For what it was worth, Kaoru had to sigh: on second thought, comparing big ol' macho-man-wannabe Sano with little ol' attuned-to-his-more-feminine-side Kenshin, might not be the best or smartest way to broach the subject…

"I just don't get what the big deal is. This is an activity that you clearly enjoy and, as far as I know, you always do your own thing: what's stopping you?" she inquired innocently enough.

"It sounds like you still have a lot of growing up to do, missy. It's good though, that people like you still exist; call me up in a few years and tell me how being idealistic worked out for you, 'kay?" he responded with blunt honesty, scooping up some ice-cream into a bowl.

"I just don't see anything wrong with you wanting to be a chef, I really don't! People should have goals and do whatever it takes -without resorting to Machiavellian means, that is- to achieve them."

"In Care Bear land: sure. In the real world, people should go to college, get good grades and do an internship somewhere, graduate, find a job and miserably work off their house's mortgage until the day they die in their sleep and leave their family swimming in unpaid debts."

"I never thought the word 'jaded' would suit you, but the hits just keep on coming, as do the surprises…"

"I 'aint jaded; just heavily realistic." Sanosuke claimed, handing her a bowl.

"If that's what growing up means, then The Ramones were right all along and I figure I'll be better off singing along to their 3 minute songs than becoming a responsible well-adjusted member of society." she manifested, licking her spoon in deep  thought.

"That's sweet kid, but you 'aint immune to coming of age, college applications and your parents' or friends' opinions."

"It just doesn't seem fair! This was the best meal I've had in years and it comes off as totally dumb and retarded that you should let your talent waste away because you have to turn out like everyone else wants you to, like the predetermined image they have of you or, even worse, submit to the preset little mold that the world is just far too eager to cram you into! Granted, dropping out of college is the ultimate risk, but if you have not an ounce of passion for that which you are doing, then there's not all that much to loose, is there?"

"Not to burst your bubble or anything, but there's a lot on the line when the one person you care about is willing to turn their back on you." he pointed out, waving a spoonful of ice-cream in front of her face.

Pinching her nose in irritation, there was no denying that this was the part of the story that Kaoru hated the most. Small talk during their quirky supper had been okay, keeping his grubby oven mitts away from her dish after he was done had been kind of amusing, and even that annoying part at the end where she was reminded of how much she owed Sano –actually, that was still like taking a shot to the head… 

The importance of our protagonist's mental tirade, though, centered on one thing: the part of the conversation she and Sanosuke had amidst mouthfuls of chicken and pop, wherein a recent ridge between the hellion and his vitriolic girlfriend was revealed. The fact that a person who supposedly loved someone ran off when something this important came up -throwing breakable objects around to boot- was not sitting well with her at all…

"Setting aside all personal differences that I may have with Megumi, I think it would be silly if the following went unsaid: Sano… screw your girlfriend!" the teenager vigorously exclaimed and then, in view of a very wolfish grin, quickly amended, "And not in the Kama-Sutra sense of the word ya perv…"

"Listen missy, I get that you're trying to help, I do, but that's just not gonna happen. Let me break it down for you: I know Meg and I fight all the friggin' time, and I know it doesn't always seem like we see eye to eye but, in the long run, all that matters is that we pull through together. I may not be smarter than your average bear, but I know that what's most important to me right now is that darling spitfire of mine and, as much as I hate to admit it, she's usually right whenever she calls the shots; who's to say she doesn't have a point here?"

"Then let's say that you do decide to stay in college and that she cools off and you two get back on track: will you be fully happy?"

"Kaoru…" the boy spoke, chuckling softly, "love's not like that."

"What do you mean? Isn't love all about being happy, singing to the birds and vive la vie en rose?" she questioned, knitting her brows in utter confusion.

"Sure… that too. You've never been in love, have you cookie?"

"What do you know?!" she called out defensively, somewhat peeved at getting coined 'cookie'.

"Easy kiddo: I'm there. And if you don't get what I'm trying to tell you, then you'd better keep your fingers crossed so that when you fall it's not that bad and it's not that hard." Sano gushed seriously, although a small good spirited twinkle appeared to be lodged in his gaze. 

"You really get off on mimicking Yoda, don't you?"

"Do I look like Kenshin? He's the nerd and housekeeper, I'm the _actual_ guy."

"Sano… even though this in no way invalidates that you are a lazy bum and freeloading jerk, you aren't half bad and… it may not be my place to say, but I still believe you should talk to Megumi _again_ about all of this. You should do whatever makes you happy and, if she loves you, she'll come around; after all, I may not be very familiar with the topic but, if I understood what you said before, then this whole 'love isn't only a synonym of happy' theory goes both ways, doesn't it?"

He had to smile. He got why his friend was attracted to her. Even though she was way too innocent for his taste and, without shadow of a doubt, an exasperating nag, she was above all else a nice person and a kindred spirit; in his less than humble opinion, Kaoru Kamiya could take on Tomoe any day: too bad the village idiot didn't see things from that perspective…  

"Well missy, I came, I ate, now it's time I hit the road. You gonna be okay?" he asked in genuine concern, standing up from the table.

"I have no reason not to be." she affirmed coolly, hiding her eyes beneath her bangs.

She began to clear the table and he stretched his stiff limbs. She made her way to the sink and turned on the tap. Rolling up the sleeves of her sweatshirt, she set to work on the menial task of washing the dishes and soon enough bubbles were flying around her. Sanosuke took the opportunity to chase the transparent spherical soap-and-water-turned-to-fun substance round the kitchen and popped the flakes of soap, exactly as a young child would have done.   

After a while, he nonchalantly walked over to the girl and took it upon himself to dry the dishes, ladles, glasses, forks and knives, all this done in a peaceful, companiable bout of silence that came naturally to them both, despite their generally talkative natures. 

"So… what's Tomoe like?" 

The question that broke the comfortable stillness was one that Sanosuke had expected. She had intentionally left the subject of Kenshin untouched, but he knew that she was only human and, as such, it had to be gnawing away at her insides and driving her mad. 

Now that she had finally gone and done the inevitable though, he wasn't sure what to say that wouldn't sound disheartening; after all, Kenshin's relationship with 'Miss Cool, Calm and Collected' had been intense.  

"Umm… I'm probably not the best person to ask. You have soap suds in your hair."

Soap suds??? What was he hiding from her? This 'Tomoe' person was the epitome of perfection, wasn't she? In fact, Tomoe would never ever get soap suds in her hair while washing dishes, would she? Of course not! She probably didn't randomly fall into ditches either… Who was she kidding? She was a lost case and she knew it, Kenshin knew it, Sano did too and Megumi had even gone as far as to say it out loud. 

"Odd. Since Kenshin's your best friend, I figured that you could give me the Cliff Notes version, in case I ever bump into her I'm not taken completely off guard or anything…"

The porcelain dish in his hands was beyond being dried; it was currently getting polished. 

"_What to say? What to say?"_

"I'd give you the lowdown on Yukishiro, but I kindda have a very biased opinion so, why bother?"

"Sano… that's what I want: a biased opinion! Otherwise, I might as well stalk over to any strange person dilly-dallying down the street and ask them about a girl they don't know so they can give me the impartial version due to a disturbing psychotic spell, or look at me funny and send me off to an asylum."

Didn't she _ever_ back off? That girl was stubborn to the bone and, from the looks of it, would be the death of Kenshin- if he bothered to acknowledge that there was other intelligent life on the planet ever again anyway, considering that, in the past, when Tomoe was around, he used to devote 110% of his attention solely to her.

"Look missy; let's just say that, Tomoe and I, we don't get along so great…" 

So Sanosuke wasn't all that fond of Kenshin's ex, hunh? Well, she could most definitely deal with that! It wasn't much and it didn't solve anything, but it did make her feel slightly better about herself and her current situation: maybe this woman wasn't as perfect as she had initially thought…

"It's kind of hard to get along with a rude, sarcastic ruffian: I can relate to that particular sentiment." she, in astute and mischievous fashion, expressed, putting an end to the plainly displeasing discussion; after all, she didn't want to bring her friend down, especially not after the lovely and unique bonding that had gone on that night. 

_"Yes,"_ she thought with a smile, _"for now I can truly consider him a friend, can't I?"_

"Trust me, it 'aint half as bad as having to eat with your Casper-white face in full view. Seriously, stepping out into the sun once in a while won't hurt you, ya know?" he retaliated for the heck of it.

A splash of water and soapsuds followed that statement in a flash and flurry of movement. 

Sanosuke ducked just in time to avoid an airborne slipper, but, very much to his chagrin, he wasn't fast enough to stop the second one from connecting with his jaw. 

_"On second thought, maybe 'friend' is too strong a word…"_

Ah, friendship… what a wonderful, crazy, sadomasochistic thing it was.

_Reviewer Responses:_

**To Misato-Katsuragi2:** Trust me, to Tomoe I do this too: **:****-p **! I don't like her all that much, but I do believe that she is one of the most misunderstood characters in anime history and, for that very reason, I intend to cut her some slack. I've got plans for her but, though I certainly don't intend to give the story away, I've decided to be nice this time and tell you that, SO FAR, I have no intentions of allowing her to end up with Kenshin… On that very suspenseful note, I leave you…

**To Kakiyaku Mai:** *Pauses*… Yes, this will be a K+K fic! At least, that's my take on it thus far… Ah, French: I lived in Belgium for three years so I know how to speak it and write it properly… the experience also created a deep-rooted phobia in me when it comes down to grammar and, to be more specific, verb structures. *shudders at the thought of her upcoming grammar seminar* Now that you know what Kaoru does with seemingly harmless slippers, are you still intent on the use of a bokken? And a little tip: remember that a kitchen is just an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction just waiting to be put to good use! Bye!

**To ****Nigihayami Haruko****: **Trust me, reviews never are long enough, though the length of your last one was highly satisfactory! I'm glad that you like the way I portray Kaoru and it please me to hear that you enjoyed the revelations from last chapter. I know that this one is a bit slow on the uptake, but I want to establish solid foundations for all my characters' relationships; I don't like it much when an author introduces two characters who have never met into the story and seconds later, they become friends. In my opinion, friendships take time and, if I want Sano to be on missy's side, I have to give the answers as to why he would side with her: to me 'just because' isn't good enough. I hope this chapter was to your liking; oh well, at least I tried…

**To Aryanne:** Before we go into my story… YOU UPDATED SILVER CROSS!!! YOU UPDATED SILVER CROSS!!! I am ever so happy!!! *clears throat and sheepishly glances sideways* Okay, so now that that's all taken care off, let's get on with the show! First and foremost, squeezing Tomoe back into the picture is not as easy as it seems, especially when one is a K+K fan. Secondly, Sano wasn't there when he should have been, but wasn't his presence soothing and comforting during the aftermath? If there's one thing I couldn't get away with, it was leaving Sano's opinion and brilliant take on things out of this part of the story; to me his supporting role is ever fundamental in the development of the main characters' relationship; he's the one that -in his own, truly particular way, of course- makes sense out of everything. Third up: there is a beneficial quality to Tomoe's interference; she holds exclusively knowledgeable insights about the ever mysterious past… Now, do I have your attention? *laughs maniacally and does the typical Mr. Burns evil rubbing of hands.*

**To tibby-chan:** I was hoping I could get my next chapter up soon too, but as I thoroughly explained in my AN, some things came up… Thanks for liking my story and for leaving a review!

**To ^_^:** Messed up, hunh? Wait till you see the rest: I get the distinct feeling that, soon enough, our dear_ Kenny_ will be beyond messed up! Also, thanks dude, I appreciate the review!

**To Laurika:** As you have probably found out from experience, pleading for a new chapter to come out soon doesn't work with me; blame my teachers and all the crazy things they make me do! As of right now, I am sitting here, typing away after my day on the beach, courtesy of my photography teacher, and I am sun burnt: yes, my shoulders are all red and soon enough they are going to hurt to the touch like… well, hell. Thank you for all the lovely comments on my story: flattery will get thee everywhere… ^_^ !

**To Shaeya Sedjet:** I hope you get past reading the first chapter. Tell me what you think of the rest, okay? ^_~

**To tamichka:** Number one: I will ALWAYS be here to listen to your ranting! Numero two: okay, sure, Tomoe isn't back in the picture… although, you probably won't want to take a looksie at the upcoming chapters then… To live in denial, hunh?  You asked when I was gonna update… I guess I won't score any points if I go all 'funny' on you and say 'how is now for an answer?' *gets sucker punched* Yep… I figured as much… ^_~

**To Rhapsody07:** I think all of us fanfiction authors can, in one way or another, relate to Kaoru's sudden inspiration thingy, hence why I decided to write about it: I'm glad you enjoyed  it.  Another thing: fine, I won't tell you Tomoe is back… you'll just read more and more about it eventually, until you start getting used to the idea! *flashes impish wink* ^_____~ I'm thankful that you agreed with the way Kaoru handled herself throughout this whole ordeal; I hope that after this chapter that positive idea of yours doesn't change in regards to that very same situation! I'm happy that you're back at the 'Reviewer Responses' section: we missed you down here!

**To VanyD:** I'm sorry to say that I don't read Fushugi Yuugi; in fact, I know very little about that show. Well, we always hope that there will be a happy ending in store for Kaoru and Kenshin, don't we? ^_~ I agree with the fact that the two lovebirds need to lock lips, but I'm not going to rush things. Of one thing you can be certain though: when the time comes, it will be quite memorable for the both of them!

**To missaw:** Do you know that you are the only person that did NOT throw a fit because of the K/T situation? I find it fascinating and flattering that you didn't mind in the least that I incorporated that bit into the story! Now, for the fun part: if you think that last part was a MAJOR plot twist then, in time, you are going to be in for a VERY lovely surprise! Till next we meet again! 

**To EnjeruJoshin:** You think you're pretty clever don't you? You think that just because you predicted Tomoe's return you can predict that which is coming next, don't you? To be very 'Buffy', cliché and evil, I'll say this: "You think you know. What's to come, what you are. You really have no idea."  Okay, so maybe the "what you are" spiel was a little over the top, but the rest… it suited the situation and fit in quite beautifully, if you ask me. To ease some of the emotional distress I seem to have, yet again, put you through, I can go ahead and tell you with a clear conscience that Tomoe and Kenshin will not be heading off to a Las Vegas wedding chapel or anything of the sort anytime soon. Now that you can rest easy I am going to go on ahead and thank you for all the encouragement and the motivational speeches you direct my way: they mean the world to me! Till next time, kay? Bye! ^_^

**To Ocean Fish: **Oh… we don't address 'HER' by 'HER' filthy little name, do we? Someone has some anger management issues * to be read in unpretentious singsong voice*  By the way, even though I'm a Scorpio, I don't tend to hold grudges and I forgive you, though that baby talk scared me… a bit *shudders*. Well, I haven't updated consistently, so I can't blame you for taking your sweet time as well and if I had to pick a story for you to focus on right now… well… you know the Piano People are my favorites so, if my vote counts any, I'm gonna say 'Living the dead' it is! My shoulders are starting to hurt because of the stupid sunburn afflicting me so I'm gonna draw this to a stop, okay? I'll see you next time and, if you need any help with your stories, let me know. Bye now!

This is people: I'm signing out for the time being. Please, don't forget to review! 

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	15. Holding Breath

_STANDARD DICLAIMERS APPLY:_ If I had a million dollars, maybe I could buy the rights to Rurouni Kenshin; as things stand, I barely own myself. 

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**Quick little message from author: **In all fairness, I am particularly proud of this chapter: it didn't take as long to write or upload as many others and it is quality material – at least in my book. I'm considering taking this little ranting session down from future uploads seeing as no one seems to be the least bit interested by it. Last time I mentioned having some ideas for future Inuyasha fanfics, but, either no one read the AN, either no one cared. As for this chapter's focal point: can you say "forshadowing"?

**Soundtrack: **Aterciopelados – Rompecabezas; Ely Guerra and La Ley – El Duelo; Lenny Kravitz – Circus; Sarah Mchlachlan – Lost; And you will know us by the trail of dead – How Near, How far; Bob Schneider – Big Blue Sea; Cake – Frank Sinatra; Tori Amos – Here in my Head; Frou Frou – Hear me out; Moby – Sunday; Hooverphonic – Mad About You.  

**Chapter 15: Holding Breath.**

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Surreal: that was the only word that came slightly close to describing the situation. Being in his jeep with Tomoe, driving her back to the loft… it was just crazy, absurd, bizarre and, most of all, surreal.

The silence was getting to him; never before had it been a problem for the two of them to keep quiet for a while, their relationship had sort of always been beyond the bound of words. 

Now, though… now it was unsettling. Now, he would give anything for her to say something, for her to let him know why she was here and what the hell she wanted with him, for him to have an excuse to not be angry and loosen his grip on the steering wheel, which  his hands tightly clung to, as if for dear life.

"Are you cold?" 

The pensive woman in the passenger seat shook her head parsimoniously and resumed her brooding while staring out the window. Kenshin spared her a glance and mentally sighed; she had been like this ever since he first met up with her at the airport and, in spite of feeling something akin to resentfulness towards her, her attitude was beginning to worry him: he never could stay mad at her long, and goodness knows he'd tried… 

"So… how is Italy working out for you, To- Tomoe?" he asked politely. 

Inwardly, he swore at his inability to pronounce her name without stuttering. Why was it that he was so easily reduced to nothing more than a bumbling toddler when she was around? 

"In answer to your question, I'd have to say that I like it there. That isn't what you wanted to ask me though, is it Kenshin?" she responded in a mellifluous and cordial voice.

It got to him every time; the inflection when she voiced his name, that subtle little pitch… it had forevermore been his undoing. Tonight, it made him sad, it made him angry, it made him want to stop the car and demand an explanation; it made him feel things he knew he would never express. 

"You are correct, that wasn't really the first of a series of questions that came to mind."

Truth be told, he had been expecting her immediate, honest and direct retort, only… it never came… and that frightened him because, the fact that she wasn't being as straightforward as she had always been, it did not bode well: there must have been something in the water back in Milan…

Eventually, she heaved a soft, almost inaudible sigh, and the long pearl earrings that hung from her earlobes clinked together musically as she shook her head, seemingly attempting to banish some unwanted thought from her mind, while her salmon colored silk skirt rustled slightly as she uncomfortably shifted in her seat. 

"Don't think I don't understand your position, Kenshin. If I were in your shoes, I too would be… curious… and a paragraph full of other substantially lesser adjectives. I'm aware that this isn't a particularly nice situation but, I assure you, there are perfectly legitimate reasons for my being here at this very moment; had it been otherwise, I would have never considered bothering you with my troubles."

He wasn't surprised, for Tomoe had a good head on her shoulders and she tended to be considerate within the realm of all things reasonable. When she took action, she was always cautious and wary of the consequences, both for her and all other pawns involved. At the top of her game, she was an insanely excellent strategist: poker nights were impossible because calling her bluffs was unheard of and she was a fine chess player, one that could checkmate her way to hell and back, coming out from every match victorious; no doubt her father taught her well and all the money invested in her education had paid off. 

No, what caught him off guard was her insinuation and the fact that in order to overcome her difficulties she would have to resort to seeking his aid: he could not fathom what kind of problems the intelligent and keenly insightful twenty-five year old could have fallen victim to that would require his, or anyone else's assistance. After all, she was so self-sufficient that her only unconquered battle thus far was her inability to photosynthesize, and the only thing stopping her from _that_ achievement was her human condition and unbreakable laws of nature… 

"You don't have to tell me that Tomoe: I know you and I know how your mind works."

"I'm glad… you still trust me that much?"

"Does it really surprise you? You never did anything to earn my mistrust or shake my confidence in you; you only chose a different road than the one I'm on."

"You're right, it's not surprising… yet, a confirmation is always well received."

"Testing the waters? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I always say that you would make an incredible business woman?"

"My father would have been enormously pleased."

Conversation sparked but quickly withered away. Even if small talk was, at this point, more than welcome, there were more important matters on both their minds and those disturbing, persistent thoughts that erected barricades and brick walls between them proved themselves relentless and obstructive, as obstacles well tend to do.

"It was a pretty long flight: do you mind if we wait until we get to the loft before I clear things up for you? I know you want answers Kenshin, and I will readily explain myself but, I am so very tired right now… would it be too inconvenient or even terribly presumptuous on my part if I suggest that we wait it out a bit?" she solicited evenly, lassitude reflected in her dark, penetrating orbs. 

How could he say no to _that_? She actually looked kind of haggard and that was most definitely not one of her characteristic traits; prim and proper, on the other hand, described her best… normally, anyway.

"So we wait."

After speaking said words out loud, though, and witnessing a small smile of satisfaction and relief creep over his ex-girlfriend's lips, he had to wonder at the ominous ring that he had meant to instill in his statement and that had gone completely unnoticed by her. 

Perhaps Kaoru was right, maybe he _did_ have a tendency to make all things sound extremely definitive, only those who spent enough time around him just learned to let it bounce off of them: when had she become able to read him so well?

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

Both their high strung attitudes engendered a stifling atmosphere at the loft. Once they reached their destination, neither was sure what the correct course of action should be or how they should handle themselves in the other's company. 

With minor protests and firm persuasion, it was settled that Tomoe would take the bed and that Kenshin, every bit the gentleman, could very well make do of the couch.

One glass of water and a few nervous glances later, they hadn't covered much ground or made any progress - Kenshin was still confused and his current tormentor was behaving as cryptic as ever: why did karma have to be such a… well… bitch? In our main character's opinion, things couldn't possibly get any worse.

There was a noisy, intermingled cacophony of confident steps and jangling keys, followed by a sudden gust of wind that filtered to the interior of the room as the front door flew open: it would be wise to knock on wood when one believes oneself to be far above the reach of life's treacherous, pixie-like ways…

"Sanusuke Sagara, fancy meeting you here: I thought you would have moved in with Megumi by now… no longer into illiterate men, is she?"

"Why, Miss Yukishiro… what an _un_pleasant surprise. Have no fear; Megumi is still as much into me as you like your men miserable."

"Sano, Tomoe… not tonight."

How could he have forgotten? What on earth had possessed him to disregard the mutual dislike between his ex and his best friend? This damn confusion that had settled in ever since she phoned him from the airport had crossed his wires and had lead him to go blotto; he had been far too busy trying to think up reasonable motives for her return to consider how messed up things could get as soon as those two found themselves reunited at long last. He would pay dearly for that mistake; it was bound to cost him his sanity.  

"So, did you two kiddies have dinner yet? I brought left-overs." Sanosuke said, nodding towards the Tupperware containers nestled in his arms.

"We skipped supper. Actually, we just got back so-" Kenshin tried to explain, only, whatever he was about to say, got swallowed up by his roommate's booming voice.

"Good: going to bed on an empty stomach sounds like punishment enough for the likes of you!"

The redhead had to grudgingly admit: he was at sea here, slowly ebbing to the very bottom of this big, blue, murky watered ocean of incomprehension and puzzlement. That Sano would resort to insulting Tomoe was one thing; that he would treat Kenshin with undeserved disdain was… unprecedented – if his regular taunts and weird sense of humor weren't taken into account, of course.

"Oro? Punishment? Sano, I for one would like to know, just what exactly is going on?"

Sanosuke was livid and having a hard time concealing it. How dare this man he held in such high-esteem – even if he did spend half of his time making fun of him – forget his errors, which were the size of an elephant, so fast? Was he in that big a hurry to tread the decidedly wrong side of the tracks anew?  

"All I'm saying is that you weren't the only ones to blow off a nice, warm meal tonight." he strained to get out through gritted teeth.

Kenshin's eyes widened at the implications and he felt himself beginning to loose his hold on the calm image he'd been attempting to display ever since the dreaded telephone's ringer went off that evening. How dare he accuse him of depriving Kaoru of food? 

She was a big girl; if dinner was cancelled, then surely she could supply herself with something back at her house! Besides, he had dropped her off at the 7-eleven near her place and she'd assured him she was going to get some groceries, amongst which was a large pint of ice-cream!

"She had no qualms about it, if that's what you're getting at…" he spat out, tightlipped. 

"Of course she wouldn't; she's too nice a person to let anyone know when they've gone on ahead and hurt her feelings." the tall man elucidated while storing the containers away in the fridge; he didn't trust himself enough to make eye contact with Kenshin without following up his statement by running him into the ground. Seriously, how much of an idiot could one man be? 

"Am I missing something here?" the dark haired woman chimed in, giving her ex-boyfriend a worried slanted look or two: she could tell that he was loosing his temper, which never turned out to be a good thing. 

"By more than a mile and you're not the only one…" he disclosed simply, setting his eyes on Kenshin accusingly.

"Sano… now is not the time." the small and slender young man whispered harshly, amber specks dancing around dangerously in his watery violet eyes. 

"You're right: in your case, time's up." Sano spoke, glaring daggers at his friend, wishing he would get a clue, before lazily turning his smoldering gaze on the wretched source of this mess they were all in: Tomoe. "Glad to have you back, _Miss _Yukishiro: we are all free to wallow in emotional distress now."

"In spite of how things might look, none of this is what you think Sanosuke."

Oh, so he thought that pronouncing his full name, building an almost tangible, considerably dark aura around himself and simmering quietly with his hands clenched into fists was going to scare off Sagara Sanosuke???  If he weren't so darn enraged and just about ready to chop off heads, the football player would be laughing till his sides fell off and screaming 'I LAUGH IN THE FACE OF DANGER!!!' at the top of his lungs. Kenshin sure knew how to be amusing in his own 'one-more-word-and-I-will-be-dancing-atop-your-grave-faster-than-you-can-beg-for-mercy' way. Oh well, if he wanted to use the intimidator card and think he could get away with it, that was his problem…  

"I'm hoping not, otherwise, it's potentially much more dangerous than before."

"I must say, I never dreamed that I would see the day you talked in riddles." the female in a sleeveless, mandarin collar, silk blouse and matching skirt announced mockingly.

To be perfectly honest, she wasn't enjoying the bantering session – she never did – but it was a means to an end: if she took the gruff young man's comments the least bit seriously, then Kenshin would be concerned about things that were far too petty to get worked up about and, as it was, he already had enough on his plate without her, yet again, adding insult to injury.

Looking back on it all now, she knew that when she had decided to leave, she had, in part, made the right choice: her presence was always as painful as rubbing salt into an old, unhealing wound and he, of all people, did not deserve that kind of treatment.

"Just goes to show: I never thought I'd see the day you walked back through that door, but I guess I spoke too soon, didn't I?"

Kenshin was seething: Tomoe was back, Kaoru, for whatever god forsaken reason privy to only women and their strange ways, was upset and Sanosuke was being an ass, which wasn't helping matters any! 

"You do realize that, up until tonight, you had never been as openly hostile?" she softly intoned.

"Up until tonight you had never screwed up as badly!" he exclaimed in aggravation.  

Kenshin felt a migraine coming on, one of the skull-drilling kind. Everything was so screwed up. Everything was so damn much to take. Everything was happening too fast. Everything was too intoxicating. Everything was too nauseating. Everything was summed up in a pair of haunting charcoal eyes. Everything was reduced to sparkling, wondrous cornflower orbs. Everything was too confusing. Everything has one horizon. Everything has an alpha and an omega. Everything is here and gone. Everything was lost. Everything had meaning. Everything was beginning to slip away. Everything was too loud. Everything was too strong. Everything was so fucked up!!!

"KNOCK IT OFF YOU TWO!!!"

"Kenshin…" Sanosuke gasped in awe at the architecture major's outburst, "you finally grew a spine. Not to worry though, your _girlfriend's_ figurative chainsaw will take care of that soon enough!"

"I said stop…" he hissed hoarsely, keeping his ire in check as best as he knew; the last thing he needed was to loose control of his guarded emotions and explode theatrically. Somehow, he knew it wouldn't all end with a 'BANG'… 

"I'm going to bed, you ungrateful bastard!" the coffee-eyed brunet huffed, crossing the distance to the small winding, wrought iron staircase that lead to his quarters without turning around or looking back.

"Sleep tight and _do_ let the bedbugs get in a few bites…"Kenshin murmured inaudibly: he _did _have to let off steam _somehow!_

The resounding slam of a bedroom door echoed all throughout their shared living space and all grew still… again. 

"Well…isn't he as mature as ever?" the woman remarked cynically, letting her eyes stray to the top of the staircase, which was in full view from the main floor.

"Tomoe… what _are_ you doing here?" he asked in defeat, closed lids hidden behind a curtain of soft russet bangs.

"I would think the morning better suited for discussions of such caliber, don't you agree?" she suggested after a beat of silence, very much being her standard, equanimous self.

"I don't even know what caliber you're making reference to." Kenshin whispered wearily, his head still hung low and a million doubts clouding his thought-process.

Tomoe took a deep breath and braced herself. She was so tired of this, of causing him pain: he had been a tortured soul ever since she met him and their relationship's circumstances hadn't exactly been therapeutic. 

She supposed that meeting for the first time at a funeral wasn't particularly encouraging or something to be taken as a good sign, but she had never been superstitious, believing only in men and their own creations, in that which she could see for herself – a true sophist at heart. Had she known what she knew now, she would have never pursued him, never condemned him the way she did. When it was all said and done, Sanosuke was right, she had prolonged his misery, though she did believe that she had tried to help, tried to forget, tried to come to terms with reality and fickle fate. 

No, she had never been superstitious, but perhaps she should have been, for her first encounter with him and the mere fact that he had come into her life gave her reason to consider and remain open to the possibility that destiny was more than an excuse people used to explain the inexplicable or an illusory faith to place all their absurd hopes in. 

Yes: Kenshin's existence and his influence in her life by far succeeded to accredit the creed of kismet; he had single-handedly proved that it had all been meant to be, time and again. And now… now, looking at his shadow cast onto the floor by the light reflecting from the ceiling and beholding his dispirited figure across from her, worn out by her once more, now he made her see that it had all also been meant to come to a close. 

"You will find out all the sordid details tomorrow morning, if you allow me to postpone this conversation, that is. Kenshin… please try to understand… it's not easy for me either but… trust me when I say there is no harm in waiting for answers and that I needed to see you before heading off to my family and sharing with them what we will speak of later on. I want you to be the first to know the news I bear because… you're still my best friend, I just… I don't know how to… how to tell you and I need to buy time to piece myself back together before I do. Please understand me Kenshin." she pleaded, much to her ex's astonishment. 

"Is it that serious?" he inquired sorrowfully.

"I don't think it has to be, but you never can tell, can you?" she strove on, hope and desperation shimmering in her soulful stare.

"No… I guess you can't."

With those words, he shrugged aside the subject that troubled him and she relaxed, fully aware that he had granted her her wish of being left alone for the rest of the evening. One sleepless night holding his breath, and then Kenshin would finally attain the knowledge that he yearned for: the reason for Tomoe Yukishiro mysteriously slipping back into his life. 

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

"The 'ex', hunh?"

"Yup."

"Well, _that_ sure puts a dampener on things!"

"Yup."

"So… has he bothered to call?"

"Nope."

"Probably too infatuated with her to bother picking up a phone…"

"Yup."

"Somehow, I didn't expect something like this from the guy that heroically saved your life multiple times: in my mind, I pictured the two of you as a fairy-tale couple, two souls mysteriously brought together like in all those epic tales, the predestined lovers in the movies of Hollywood's black and white golden age, etcetera…"

"Yup."

"I just didn't think something like this would happen, you know?"

"Un-hunh."

"Kaoru… you've spent all weekend sitting next to the phone, haven't you?"

"Yup."

"And… correct if I'm wrong, but… you're angry at yourself for it, aren't you?"

"Yup."

"Oh dear… Tell me, can you say anything else besides 'yup', or are you too mopey and sad to try?"

Kaoru sighed into the receiver and wiggled her toes as she brought her legs closer to her chest. Why should she bother saying anything at all? It's not as if talking was going to change anything or make Kenshin materialize before her spouting sonnets. Though, come to think of it, she was glad that poetry was out of the question: personally, that whole fantasy scenario was a bit too corny for her taste, even if she liked Rimbaud well enough. 

"You say it best when you say nothing at all, Louise Brooks. That's it! I'm coming over with comfort food and chick flicks!" her cheery friend decided.

More comfort food? Kaoru was going to end up gaining ten pounds overnight on a daily basis if this kept up! And just who in the seven hells was Louise Brooks??? Sometimes Misao really aimed to confuse…

"It's okay Misao; Sano already stopped by and lifted my spirits. Oh! Also… who's Louise Brooks?"

"Sano is your former Prince Charming's trusty sidekick, isn't he? When did he stop by? And, do you want the lengthy version, or the Cliff Notes one?"

"Yes he is – though Kenshin never ever was my Prince Charming - , Friday and Cliff Notes please."

"Louise Brooks was the famous silent movie star that played the role of Lulu in 'Pandora's Box' and had a cute little Dutch bob, which I am, personally, considering cropping my hair into. Now, let me see if I follow: Sano was over at your house cheering you up on Friday and his technique is so amazing that it has managed to soothe you up until today? Kaoru… should I be taking notes from this guy or something?"

"Nope, not really. How short is this Dutch bob exactly?"

"Don't change the subject! So, all of a sudden Miss Brooks has decided to go all chatty on me… Kaoru: what are you hiding and whatever possessed you to believe that you can keep it from me?"

Kaoru banged her head against the wall and stared longingly at the telephone's cradle: what she wouldn't give at this very moment to be able to hang up on her friend… How was she supposed to want to talk about how she was feeling a thousand things she knew she very well shouldn't? How was she meant to explain that whatever had transpired Friday between Kenshin and herself hurt her more than she cared to admit? How was she going to manage explaining all of these contradicting emotions without sounding like a completely obsessed lunatic? If she was honest with herself, then she would have to willingly admit that she had known him not for very long; then why was it that she could feel certain unbalancing emotions this strongly? Why and how could he seep into her skin so quickly? Why was she so sad and out of it? How in the world could she speak to Misao about this? 'How' and 'why': she was beginning to develop a serious dislike toward these two commonly used words of the English language!

"Misao, my only problem is a silent phone. Really, I _should_ feel better than this! After all, Sanosuke was so kind and thoughtful and, generally speaking, so entirely unlike himself, that the shocking surprise of it all should have lasted me till kingdom come, not Sunday! Besides, how long have I known my personal lifesaver?  How can I even be sure that he doesn't go about his day saving dozens upon dozens of women? What makes me so special? What could make me think that he could ever see _me_ as special? Furthermore, why should I care what he thinks of me? Why should I give damn Misao??? Please, tell me!!!" 

Misao, on the other end of the line, was overcome. In all the years she had know Kaoru Kamiya, few times had she ever sounded this messed up: who was this Kenshin Himura and what in God's name was he doing to her poor, beautiful friend???

"Kaoru, stay put and keep it cool; I'm coming over! One question though: should I come in my pajamas or are you dressed properly?"

Kaoru pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, trying hard to do as she was told and release all the pent up tension that was building a weepy, sentimental creature of gigantic proportions inside of her. She wanted to answer the girl; she really did, but… why bother wasting breath if it took up so much effort?

"Your silence speaks louder than words… I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Sighing one final time, the phone slid from the teenage girl's grasp and thumped onto the ground. Ever so slowly, she let her eyes droop closed and then, with astonishing fierceness, she jammed the heel of her hands against her sockets, futilely creating intense pressure that ultimately caused a tingling pain in the abused area, which, in turn, made her see stars. 

She felt as if she were going stark raving mad and she knew, in the very depths of her inner self, that this kind of behavior was a far cry from normal. What was going on with her??? She was beginning to scare herself; this she knew as surely as the grass was green and the sky was blue. When did things stop making sense?  

_"I ask myself that same question every day."_

Kaoru's head snapped up fast enough to give her whiplash and her liquid eyes threatened to succumb to angry storms and forlorn seas: where had she heard those soft words phrased oh-so-wistfully before? And why did recalling this occurrence suddenly seem all too imperative? 

The telephone's empty cradle was aimlessly pushed away with one frustrated thrust and the beeping receiver bumped into the wall alongside it, helplessly tugged into hell by the chord that united the two. 

Kaoru held her breath and counted to ten. The receiver continued to beep, and then the line went dead. 

_Reviewer Responses:_

**         To ^_^ :** Well, I've officially introduced Tomoe and Sano's dislike for her person has been made quite apparent. However, I        don't think the reasons for their mutual discord have been made quite clear yet. Oh well, that just gives _me_ something to   work on and _you_ something to think about! As for the bonding between Kaoru and Sano… I think it is an integral part of the plot – whichever it might be – and I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Thankies for the review!!! 

         **To VanyD: **I've been really busy lately, so I haven't read your fic yet, but when I get the time, you can be sure that I'll look it   up and ravenously devour it – I sooo miss getting to be lazy and read as much fanfics as I want! I'm glad that you liked the           Sano/Kaoru interaction: it truly was a treat to write. In my opinion, there's this gigantic misconception of who Sanosuke is;          everyone thinks he's stupid and I wanted to show another side of him and hopefully make people realize there's more to him      than meets the eye. I'm sorry to report that Tomoe will not be buzzing off for a while, but… actually, you'll just have to read about it, won't you??? Have no fear, Misao is the trusted sidekick and, you already heard a bit from her in this chapter; more will be swift to follow! Besides, how else would we know if she finally managed to make Aoshi smile and hell freeze over all        at once? ^_~ Thank you for always reviewing: it feels great to be appreciated!  

         **To missaw: **Ahh… you have got to be one of the select few on this site who don't start convulsing when they encounter a      K/T piece! I, myself, always shudder slightly but, I fear that for the success of this story, Tomoe's presence is essential – not      that you seem to mind. The Sanosuke/Kaoru bonding moment is actually one of my favorite things in the entire story because          I think – feel free to correct me if I'm wrong – that it gives both characters more depth and peels the onion a little bit; I mean,       all the characters from the RKverse have so many layers! And me, being my overly-analytical self….I just had to exploit that   quality somehow. It makes me happy to know that you like surprises because there are maaany more to come: this fic isn't      called "180º spins, twists and   turns" for nothing! To you I send lots of kisses and reverent gratefulness in bundles, for you    never give up on me, always stick around with a nice comment or two to boot and it keeps me constantly inspired! Thank you!

         **To Nigihayami Haruko: ***blushes* What can I say? That was a sweet, flattering, inspiring review: that it was! Umm… I    guess you can say that this chapter was slow too, but if it's any consolation, we passed from Friday night to Sunday and,         according to the napkin with illegible notes jotted down that sits next to me, chapter 16's title goes a little something like         "Meeting the ex-girlfriend": not so mad at me anymore, are you? Although, I assure you that, no matter how much we both       want it to happen, there will be no catfights – at least not for Kaoru or Tomoe… As for your opinions on characterization and         how lousy it can oftentimes be, I heartily agree. That kind of thinking was actually the reasoning behind the inclusion of the previous chapter into the story: though the story could have easily gone on without it, it just wouldn't be the same story. It          pleases me immensely that you like my writing and, don't you worry, I ramble a lot too and I always tell my reviewers not to be bothered by it because, to me, your witty ramblings are this fanfics saving grace, as well as mine! Thanks! 

         **To Misato-Katsuragi2: **Slippers… personally, I have a bad habit of wearing multicolored socks instead of slippers, which         makes my mom mad because they get all dirty and with the amount of pairs I go through in a week, I have to stock up on   them big time, unless I dare to wear shoes without socks and get blisters – darn, sensitive skin! Apparently, the last chapter   got a much better response from the readers than I expected which, all things considered, suits me just fine! Yes, yes, this        story is K/K, so you can rest easy – you should have seen how many people got upset thinking this would strangely turn into           a K/T… the insanity of it all! @_@  Thank you very much for being a constant reviewer and source of inspiration. See you           next chapter!

         **To Rhapsody07: **Is there anything better than ice-cream to numb pain? ^_~ Don't worry, Tomoe isn't going to try to steal        Kenshin away… though that doesn't mean that Kaoru can't think she will. Confused? You're not the only! It's just as well though, all will be cleared up… in due time. Wow! Tomoe's first death threat! Isn't she the happy little camper? Till next time          Rhapsody-chan and thank you for your, as usual, kind words!

         **To EnjeruJoshin: **Ah… it's always so nice to hear from my little ray of sunshine that is you! But wait… what is this I hear? Your boyfriend is being a moron??? He should not play games with you, you deserve way better than that! I hope that the     situation gets resolved soon and that the compromise you both come to benefits you, otherwise I'll just have to kick his ass         for you! Men can just be so clueless sometimes, can't they? Can't live with them, can't live without them: the human race is        really screwed up! But seriously, anything you need, my e-mail's on the profile, okay? Keep me posted as to how things      progress; I'll keep uploading as frequently as I can, hoping that this little, measly bit that I can do for you, which is nothing        more than writing a simple story, makes you smile for at least five minutes straight. Have faith but, most importantly be true to         yourself and bow down to no one, okay? Thank you for reviewing: that always makes _me_ feel better! ^_^  

         **To Shaeja Sedjet: **You know, you're a lucky one because I was about to post the new chapter and your review made it just   in time for the final cut: now _that's _what I call excellent timing! Thanks for reviewing and do stick around for more of **180º**     **spins twists and turns'** drama, comedy and romance!      

I have to say, the number of reviews I received for this chapter pales in comparison to the amount that piled up for previous entries: I guess that updating so irregularly finally caught up with me, hunh? *heaves a disheartened sigh* Oh well, I guess it couldn't be helped! I still love all of my readers and reviewers and I am happy and humbled by every single word of encouragement that I receive.

To all of you, thanks and Sayonara; to **Ocean Fish**, three words: WHERE ARE YOU? ****

 

  

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	16. Facts, Stats and Contingencies

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: _Truth be told, I don't have the patience or the time to come up with something clever today. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, so there go all your hopes of suing me…

**Quick little message from author: **Okay, so this one took a while: sorry about that! I've got a lot on my plate at the moment, hence the turtle-paced updating. This chapter is, surprisingly enough, quite Tomoe-centric… PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!! But, before you all freak out on me, I must proudly announce that the end of this installment is something everyone will be sure to enjoy. Don't take my word on it though, just read!

**Important: **Sorry to anyone who was expecting an update yesterday: I DID update but Fanfiction.net screwed up my regular formatting and so I've had to fix it as best as I know how. I hope it doesn't suck too badly but all my stars and smiley faces are missing now because the quick edit thingy just ignores 'em. Sigh I'm really not okay with any of this, but whoever said life was fair?  

**Soundtrack: **Natalie Merchant – Life is Sweet; Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say what you want); Gemma Hayes – Hanging Around; Los Hermanos – Ana Julia; Vanessa Carlton – A Thousand Miles; Astor Piazzola – Adiós Nonino; Chopin – Nocturne in E minor; David Gray – January Rain; From the RK soundtrack – Starless.

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**Chapter 16: Facts, Stats and Contingencies.**

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So she tried to tell herself to be patient. So everyone around her offered comfort and abundant shoulders to lean on presented themselves to her every which way. So she had it made: everything around her was flowers and sunshine. So her surroundings and entourage were as understanding and therapeutic as they come. So, like a fragile, withering rose, she closed in on herself and marked the pages of a yellowed journal, endowing a florid passage with the bittersweet beauty of days and passing fancies that would not return or repeat themselves. So, taking her entirely unawares, love discovered her.

There was nothing like the wind in her face and the open outdoors smiling mercifully upon her.

At first she had been utterly skittish, but when Sanosuke insisted that she go for a spin in his convertible – which had finally made it out of the shop – there was no power on this earth that could have made Kaoru refuse.

It truly was a banged up piece of junk and a poor excuse for a car, but it had a stereo and it granted liberating freedom without the restraining presence of a roof: it was all she needed to feel like herself again.

The world blurred around her as she spread her arms and looked to the sky, not for answers or silver linings, but for the mere pleasure of contemplating this big, vast world of wonders: a never ending expanse of blue.

As she stood unsteadily atop the leather car seat that had seen better days and swayed and tottered due to the vehicle's continuous movement, there were no doubts, no grievances and no letdowns.

Releasing her midnight tresses from the constraints of a thick yellow ribbon, she shrieked with laughter and followed the path the streamer-like hair item carved into the wind with her eyes: contorting and coiling round itself in a rapid succession of graceful motions, it flowed out of sight, unburdened and captivating in its own right.

Lifting her chin, she closed her eyes and let the sun's warm caress seep into her bones and forever remain inside of her. Raising her arms up high above her head, she opened her palms wide and splayed her fingers over infinity, the wind that brushed against her sensitive skin kissing her hands piously.  She was happy.

An insistent tug at the hem of her jeans brought her crashing back to reality and, lowering her gaze towards her left, she found a pair of bright, buttony eyes stormily fixed on the road:

"Kaoru, get the fuck back down already!!! Are you trying to get yourself killed or somethin'?!!" Sanosuke cried out, shifting gears in the hopes of avoiding a disaster.

"No Sano; I'm living!" Kaoru corrected, squatting back down into the passenger seat while seeking to maintain her balance.

He gave her a sideward glance and chortled mirthfully, once again focusing all of his attention on the main street ahead.

"You're nuts." He stated earnestly, shaking his head and smiling fondly.

She shrugged easily and tweaked his baseball cap. Their resounding, bubbly laughter was like the ocean tide rhythmically crashing against the shore: inevitable.

It was easy to look smart reading 'The Naked Ape'; feeling smart, was entirely another issue. Being logically and rationally debased into nothing more than an animal by a coherent and acclaimed author is truly a blow to any man's intelligence. 

Of course, if one is already very much aware that the human race is a disarrayed mass of bumbling idiots that rely heavily on their primal instincts and that know nothing beyond their needs and wants, it's a safe read.

When the pad's door closed, Kenshin put down a copy of his favorite book and waited patiently for the regular tirade and the occasional fire brigade: that was Sanosuke's cue to speak up…

"If you're sitting out here all alone, then… where's Miss Doom and Gloom?"

"She's at her folks'." Kenshin responded coolly, returning to his reading.

"So Monday isn't turning out to be such a crappy day after all…" Sano said, taking off his cap and running his fingers through his hair.

"Speak for yourself." his roommate proclaimed grumpily, without looking up from the Desmond Morris paperback in his hands.

"What? You miss Tomoe-pooh now that she's conveniently absent for a couple of hours?" Sano inquired dryly, pulling his Yankees cap firmly over his head.

"Don't call her that and no, I don't miss her." Kenshin argued impassively, then proceeded to crankily explain himself: "Hiko sent me a letter, Tomoe is a piñata - metaphorically speaking - , you and I are hardly on speaking terms and I'm out of detergent: what's so great about today?"

Sanosuke shrugged while staring blankly at the contents of the refrigerator:

"According to the radio, I could ride the perfect wave today."

The redhead snorted and pointed at the newspaper lying on the coffee table:

"According to my horoscope, I'll go out on a date with the love of my life today."

"They say that the chances of a person winning the lottery are equal to the odds of getting struck by lightning: open the National Enquirer and read the story about the guy that gets struck twice and lives to tell the tale."

"The chances of being a lightning casualty in this country are of 280,000 to 1: look up the certified statistics on the net."

The hazel-eyed male shrugged nonchalantly, as was his custom, and drank a large gulp of orange juice, straight from the carton.

Kenshin wrinkled his nose and casually began to drum his fingers against the coffee table. He had to ask. He was dying to know. He couldn't ask; he would sound stupid if he did. He had to ask; how else would he know if she was alright if he didn't? He shouldn't ask; it was best if he dropped the subject and go with the flow. But what if she was mad? He at least needed to know _that_ much. Of course she was angry! Sanosuke had said so himself; hadn't he? But why was she upset? She had seemed fine with everything when he'd dropped her off… Trust females with their ever-fluctuating hormonal patterns to be contradiction incarnate! So… he should ask if she was at least over it yet, shouldn't he? If she was, then…

If she wasn't, he had to go apologize, set things right and whatnot; if she was, then… he had no excuse for going over to her house and seeing her, now did he?

To ask or not to ask: weighing his options had never sounded as critical or overwhelming as it did then.

On the one hand, this thing - whatever it was - that existed between Kaoru and his self, it was ridiculous and it would be in everyone's best interests if he took the chance to let it fade away; on the other hand, that chemistry they shared, it was tempting, SHE was tempting and giving it up sounded like the stupidest thing he could ever do. In fact, it sounded more stupid than asking the dreaded question…

Then again, here he was, sitting in his comfy recliner, thinking up stories about a girl and how she supposedly returned his affections. Affections??? Had he just considered harboring 'affections' for the cheery, young and naïve schoolgirl??? Could it be that he… that he… that he _liked_ her? Did he… like Kaoru? Did he, Kenshin Himura, _like_ the pretty, adorable and carefree Kaoru Kamiya?

"Oi, would ya quit it with the brooding already? I 'aint the one thinking hard enough to bend spoons, but I'm gonna need some Tylenol anyway 'cause _you're _giving _me_ a headache." the football player snapped, drawing him from his thoughts.

"Hey Sano, have you perchance talked to Kaoru since Friday?"

The man in question scrunched up his face in disbelief and disgust: Kenshin was willingly speaking about Kaoru? Kenshin hadn't disposed of the sour milk in the fridge? Yuck! Sour milk! And who the hell used the word 'perchance' in a normal conversation?

"Sure, I gave her a ride home just now."

The lavender-eyed male frowned: those two had been seeing a lot of each other lately, hadn't they?

"I thought your Camaro was at the mechanic's ICU."

"Derek gave me my baby back this morning. I was just driving around, basking in the afterglow of having wheels again and blowin' off class, when I spotted the craziest girl in town walking home, dragging an oversized backpack in tow. Now, I may not be quite like you _Kenny_, but I 'aint completely heartless; so I offered her a lift."

"Kaoru can be a bit… different, but she's not someone I would classify as crazy Sano." Kenshin reprimanded in a way that did not really have the imperviousness or acerbity of an outright objection, which was customary for him. In spite of the manner he used in his deposition however, he really wasn't particularly keen on standing by idly while someone mocked such a thoughtful and honestly kind person as was Kaoru.

"Trust me pal: when you're speeding – that'll be the day! – and suddenly a girl stands up on the passenger seat, waving her hands in the breeze like a little kid, with no concern for her own safety, _then_ you can draw your own conclusions and tell me to shut up. Until then… she's one hell of a girl, but I 'aint gonna deny that she's nuts!"

Giving himself time to process this new information, Kenshin allowed his eyes to stray towards the reading material that only moments ago seemed so interesting and yet now… now it paled in comparison to the advantages of _being_ amongst human beings, rather than sitting around _deprecating _the whole of the planet's population. 

As luck would have it, that very same afternoon Kaoru had been gallivanting around, being her fancy free self, with that sweet laugh of hers and that all encompassing spirit of hers and, while his best friend had had the chance of witnessing her smile made of sun, he had missed it all.

Really… was there ever anything good about Mondays?

"Is she… is she still mad?" he finally scratched the no longer tolerable itch by asking the aforementioned question without meeting his friend's eyes.

The tall man paused mid-bite and set down the slice of cold pizza he had found in the fridge with a sigh; when would the dork ever get things right?

"I already told you: she's not angry; she's hurt."

Kenshin considered this. He didn't know why or how he managed to hurt her feelings. He didn't know how Sanosuke had gotten a hold of such insightful information; as a matter of fact, he didn't understand why the girl was spending so much time with him to begin with. In truth, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that there were a lot of things at the moment that he simply couldn't put his finger on, much less approve of. However, he did know one thing and he kind of figured it to be knowledge of a wisely fundamental value: he mightn't have a clue as to what was going on, but he damn very well knew what had to be done…

He was a severe man: the determined set of his jaw and his dark, impassive eyes attested to it, not to mention the thin, grim and taut line his lips were drawn into. It was plain as day that he was prideful, autocratic and quite possibly a megalomaniac: the hand-in-vest-Napoleon-Bonaparte syndrome gave him that characteristic high and mighty air, common in middle-aged men of aristocratic descent.

Framed elegance and austerity were consigned to posterity in the portrait of the plantation owner with a crooked nose that hung above the dining room mantelpiece.

Fortunately for the gentleman sitting at the head of the long, mahogany, double pedestal dining table that stood atop a green and mauve Persian rug, he had inherited his great-great-grandmother's nose. 

Sterling silver candelabra, Danish porcelain dinner plates, Bohemian crystal wine glasses filled with Merlot and moon white flower arrangements set the tone for a lavish meal and intimate family affair that took place within the cream colored and tapestry covered walls of the Yukishiro dining room.

Oibore Yukishiro, being a stern man himself, had inherited many of his forefathers' attributes as well as several of their estates. The astute businessman had fallen heir to an empire of gargantuan proportions and had not only done justice to his family name, but indeed exceed the expectations and goals he had set for himself.

Right after graduating from Oxford University, at the ripe age of twenty-two, he married the prim, classy and shapely Hana Kitagawa, the daughter of a wealthy, consecrated lawyer with hair spun of copper and doe like eyes. From this union two children were born: Tomoe, the eldest, and Enishi, the rebel teen currently picking at his plate of roast duck with cranberry sauce and wild rice.

Being such a perfectionist and overachiever, excellence did not even hit the mark in terms of high standards previously set for his immediate descendents which was why, after years of unsteady navigation and two persons destined to make their own mistakes and lead the lives that, ultimately, he could never vicariously experience through them, disappointment was beginning to strike home.

"I am so glad we are all having dinner together as a family!" Hana exclaimed, clasping her hands together in delight.

"If you could call six in the afternoon dinnertime, sure…" Enishi commented dryly, his bleached hair and the beginnings of a goatee already enough of a personal affront – in their opinion, anyway – to his parents.

The family patriarch shot an icy glare at the boy sitting on one of the table's side chairs; as if it wasn't bad enough that they had to put up with his disgruntled image that bordered on tarnishing the family name, they also had to deal with his attitude. Sometimes, having made the choice of being a father really made him wonder about his mental health…

"It seems odd that you would come back to this country unannounced Tomoe." he stated evenly, taking a sip from his wineglass.

"Can't a daughter surprise her own parents?" she asked politely, folding her hands carefully on her lap.

"Apparently my offspring abide by this nondescript rule nowadays." he remarked bitterly, casting a dark look his son's way.

"Oibore," Mrs.Yukishiro intervened, "must you always be second guessing and chastising our children? Isn't it just nice to have our baby home again, even if it is only for a little while?"

Hana knew that the noncommittal grunt he emitted was all she would get out of her husband: she'd take that any day over his continued complaints.

"Actually sis, you didn't mention how long you'd be staying for…" Tomoe's younger brother inquired, a glint of hope shining in his eyes; it was quite a change from the typical teenage apathy he had been displaying moments before.

"I'm not entirely certain yet." she spoke softly, offering him a gentle smile.

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure things out in due time dear. Now, Petra made your favorite dessert, did you know? Why, as soon as she saw you walk through that door she hurried off to the kitchen intent on spoiling you rotten until your visit is over, which means that you should probably get ready for Belgian waffles tomorrow morning." Her mother intoned conversationally, subtly trying to ease the tension between two of the beings she loved most on the face of the earth. To think that Tomoe had always been daddy's little girl…

"I'm glad that Petra will be catering to my every need and craving; not even the finest restaurants in the world can compare to her cooking."

"I'm positive that she will be more than happy to hear that, wouldn't you agree Oibore?"

A grunt! How… predictable.

"How is Italy this time of year? It is bound to be chilly now, isn't it? Say, why don't the both of us go shopping tomorrow? Maybe we could find you a new coat or two… or three... or four…"

"Mom, thank you for the offer, but there is no need for me to stock up on winter clothing here; Europe has that one covered, I assure you."

"Can't a mother dote on her only daughter?"

"Can't a mother restrain herself from maxing out her credit cards?"

Hana Yukishiro beamed: her Tomoe was home again! She truly had missed her so!

"Enishi, your food is getting cold." Oibore noted dourly, inwardly cursing his son for having turned into the annoying brat that he was now.

"Thank you for stating the obvious father." he rebuked with a roll of his eyes, setting down his fork.

He hit a nerve. He most definitely hit a nerve! Maybe it was how the boy never seemed to know when to shut up. Maybe it all came down to accumulated stress from work. Maybe the hot rage that wrapped round him was directly linked to his wife's inability to quit while she never managed to get ahead. Or, maybe it was the fact that his bullshit radar was detecting fireworks all around his young daughter's poised form.

The fact is that Oibore Yukishiro had exhausted every single reserve of patience left in him and Enishi had detonated the bomb. In other words, he hit a nerve…or a wire. 

"Well, I for one have had enough of this charade." The respectable Mr.Yukishiro asserted, firmly setting his cloth napkin on the table. "Hana: do stop trying to poorly keep up appearances. Enishi: you will show me more respect because your allowance depends on it, and yes, this is blackmail, and no, I do not care that you find that morally improper; you will do as I say. Tomoe, tell me why you are here: believe me, I am all ears."

"I never expected less of you father." Tomoe vocalized listlessly, a woeful smile on her lips.

"But you were still hoping to buy time." he guessed offhandedly, confident in his knowledge of Tomoe's character. People like the both of them were quite easily misunderstood and, hence, underestimated: this never failed to give them the upper hand.

"Time isn't exactly the most important factor to be considered this once, but I fail to see how it would be detrimental to my case."

"Quite an intelligent move on your part darling; why you chose to major in art history over attending business school still remains a mystery to me."

"In the end, driving a hard bargain - often spurred from vengeance - seemed a whole lot like bullying, and strategizing simply came to mean postponing the inevitable." 

"So you find my trade dehumanizing?" he asked, a dose of strained amusement coloring his voice.

Tomoe wanted to stand up and scream at him something along the lines of 'If the shoe fits!'… that, or anything she could come up with in the space of three seconds that was ten times worse but, as usual, she restrained herself. It would not do well to anger the man, especially in light of what she had come back to say. Besides, it would not be the first time that she bit back on a few words and bottled up her feelings: in a pathetic, twisted way it even struck her as if all those years of sitting still and waiting on the world to make her own choices for her had merely been practice that prepared her and led her to this very moment. Dread and exhilaration sure knew how to play with a person's head!

"The Yukishiro methods are ruthless and I've learnt my lesson." she answered coolly, sincerely and carefully.

"What you learnt was not to act out on your passions." he corrected harshly, slamming his fist against the table. To think that the years could go by and she would still be able to twist things around!

"No." she claimed discreetly but with no intentions of backing down: if all of this was happening for a reason then she would at least try to make herself heard somehow. "After all the premeditated behavior and carefully set up scenarios that almost cost a man his life, I learnt that there are two sides to a story, generally transcending primitive concepts of right and wrong which a little clemency can shed some light on."

"Assumptions-" he started out.

"–are often misguided truths." she finished up neatly for him.

"Am I to presume that spontaneity and impassioned foolishness have driven you to a point of no return?"

Had she been a more extroverted or volatile person, the sight of his quirked eyebrows and his know-it-all manner would have finally done it for her. Putting up with a comment like that when she had something incredibly important to announce – even if she hadn't been entirely forthcoming about it – was way beyond the virtuosity of the most patient of humans, father or not.

"If I may be so bold, you are to presume nothing."

'Twas the night their perfect, cookie-cut life imploded, when all through the dining room not a Yukishiro was stirring, not even to gasp…

"Talk." he snarled.

"Listen." she demanded plainly.

"You are trying my patience Tomoe."

"I haven't even finished the main course; therefore I gather that you weren't feeling very patient today to begin with."

"Being so far from home has made you forget your manners."

"The passing of the seasons has made you impatient." Tomoe explained calmly, shrugging her shoulders in a dismissive fashion, "None of us are immune to change."

"What are you hiding that would make you overtly confront me?" he asked suspiciously, "If there is one thing you despise, it is causing a scene, especially in front of your brother."

It was like watching a tennis match. The yellow blip of a ball kept flying back and forth, bouncing up and slamming down, each strike that propelled it to the other side of the court more powerful than the last. Frankly, it was incredibly entertaining to watch… even if the consequences of this duel were to be dreaded.

With that in mind:

"Don't put a lid on it on my account; live confrontations are almost as fun as the one's on Jerry Springer!" 

Being a non-conformist teen had its advantages: in Enishi's case, this involved getting to say whatever the hell was on his mind without giving a second thought to the possible outcome and repercussions. Besides, it was high time that his sister put their father in his place: this was just another upside to her homecoming.

"There is nothing to hide. I beg your pardon, but how am I supposed to confide in you when I have yet to tell you my reasons for being here and already you attack me?" she demanded airily, ignoring her brother's earlier faux pas.

"I am not attacking you! I am requesting that you be honest with us and, once and for all, reveal the true motives of this unexpected family reunion!"

"You brought me up quite differently…" she spoke, a bitterness that rarely surfaced tingeing her voice.

"Tomoe, your father and I raised both our children with principals of- " Hana began chiding, only to be interrupted by a significantly calmer Mr.Yukishiro.

"Don't bother Hana; let her say what is on her mind. If she wishes to be an ingrate and continue to rehash the past, then who are we to stop her?"

Tomoe flinched and squinted her eyes shut in an effort to ebb the overflowing tide of emotions that was threatening to consume her. Did they not understand? Couldn't they see how hard everything had been for her? She, who had always done the right thing and that had always been misunderstood by her peers regardless. She, who had lost herself countless times. She, who only desired to be happy and normal. She, who finally stood a chance. 

"I am through with the past; currently, my main concern is the future."

"And what future do you envision for yourself, dear?" Mrs. Yukishiro prodded gently.

"One where my child will never have to be afraid of showing his true emotions and kindness and understanding shall not be unknown to him… or her; it's too soon to tell yet."

There was a beat of unnerving silence. Enishi's fork paused halfway to his mouth. Mrs.Yukishiro's napkin fluttered delicately to the floor. Mr.Yukishiro's eyes widened in shell-shocked horror. Tomoe… Tomoe just seemed to glow with that interior warmth that happens to exude from those who are about to experience motherhood.

The grandfather clock in the adjacent room chimed seven times, its pounding charging the entire house with its hollow, deafening undersong.

Yes, Tomoe was pregnant.

"More rice anyone?"

Her neighborhood was so peaceful. It always took him aback, how people could dwell in such charmingly picturesque places and be real. Her home, Hansel and Gretel's gingerbread house and the old woman's shoe/abode; they all belonged in the very same fantastic category.

Surely had the Grimm brothers, Hans Christian Andersen or Charles Perrault still been alive in this day and age, Kaoru's front lawn would have inspired some sort of imaginative story – that, or a nonsensical nursery rhyme.

The lampposts that lined the street had a romantic, almost melancholic air about them, their hazy lights weaving a spell that lingered on the tips of tree leaves and tinted them - along with several random patches of pavement - a soft golden hue.

As he, at long last, got up the nerve to unglue his behind from the car hood and head for his intended destination, the piercing calmness that had seemed to wrap around and blanket the velvety night disentangled itself from the inky shadows of twilight and splintered, the sound of approaching footfalls drifting through the cracks.

The gate rattled, feet shifted and then… she was real. Crouching directly beneath the spotlight that an iron lamppost cast, she tied her trainers' shoelaces, her long, obsidian hair hiding her face from view, in turn making him invisible to her eyes and all his earlier fantasizing into solid, tangible flesh and bone.

At that moment, standing several feet away in the shadows, Kenshin asked himself how long he could tolerate not being a part of her life. She - radiant, oblivious to his presence, and bathed in mellow light - was the greatest temptation he had confronted in a reasonably large span of time.

If he was smart, he wouldn't approach her, he would never let her know he had come looking for her; he would let their lives continue on the paths they had respectively been treading prior to the frat party.

As he thought things over in his head and watched her rise from her earlier position, he understood that there was no denying how terribly attracted he was to her, no remedy or cure to be found. Kenshin was aware that he had come to fix things in person because he couldn't stay way and that he hadn't called her sooner because he knew he should distance himself. Both logic and something he couldn't quite place – most likely his irrationality – were warring within, bringing his world to nothing short of unbridled chaos.

Whilst Kaoru smoothed over the wrinkles on her ice blue track pants and white shirt, Kenshin continued struggling with himself, unable to step forward… or backwards. He was frozen, a hopeless victim to the paradoxical nature of any red blooded male faced with a choice that brought to light values such as honor and sincerity and questions like: _'would her skin feel as soft to the touch as it seems?'_

"Kenshin?"

After assuring her father that she wasn't a hopeless female going for a jog round the block at night by reminding him that he should be more trusting of his own teachings and, consequently, his pupils, Kaoru had made a run for the gate, glad to escape house arrest if only for twenty minutes.

She had been in such a hurry to make her escape before daddy dearest came up with new lame-ass excuses to keep her locked up in her 'prison cell' - as she fondly referred to her bedroom - that she had sprinted out of the house without tying her shoelaces, an innocent mistake that, were it not for quick reflexes on her part, would have cost her nose surgery.

That is why, as soon as she was past the gate, she bent down and did her nose a favor, all the while cursing herself for not pulling her hair away from her eyes and into a ponytail beforehand.

After tying the laces into knots a sailor would be proud of – knots she would probably break a nail or two trying to undo – Kaoru's thoughts began to wander, even as she absentmindedly tugged at her shirt's collar and smoothed down the creases on her track pants.

That little car ride today had been a wonderful pick-me-up, but she still needed to burn off some excess energy; she also kind of needed to keep herself busy, to keep herself from thinking, an annoying activity that ultimately led her to feeling disappointed and miffed all over again.

Shaking her head, unwilling to go down _that_ particular road another time-too-many, she attacked her hair with a ponytail holder and idle hands, averting her gaze from the lamppost that had momentarily blinded her.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she concentrated on the task at hand, spots dancing, spinning and twirling before her eyes. She refused to waste one more brain cell thinking about HIM: if neurons did not regenerate, then they would not be lost on nothing more than an unlikely illusion. 

As Kaoru gradually regained her vision, her resolve hardened… then crumbled like any old sandcastle is doomed to do.

Was that…? Could it be? What the hell?!! Was that Kenshin lurking in the shadows?!! Was she so far gone that she – no, she simply would not allow herself to question her ability to distinguish reality from schizoid machinations of the human mind! Okay… if she wasn't going cuckoo and singing to the birds and stuff then… what the hell was Kenshin doing on her street?!!

"Kenshin?"

Curiosity killed the cat… or in this case cornered the would-be cat – eerily reminiscent of a stalker at this point – into deciding what to do with his stupid hide.

"Hey!"

Smooth, real smooth… The girl had just caught him ogling and he decided to play it cool… by grinning and waving like an idiot. It was times like these when he wished he were someone else entirely. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked softly.

She tried to move towards him, but fear kept her rooted in place. She didn't know why he had come by and, more importantly, she didn't know what she wanted his reasons to be or what she wanted to have him say.

Feeling this insecure about everything frightened her: she just didn't like being so unsure of herself and her heart. Her heart always told her what to do, where to go and who to trust, only, after Friday it seemed to be keeping secrets from her and had, for the first time, left her without guidance. Her heart's ever present advice had abruptly taken a leave of absence and until its wise counseling was back in session, she was at a loss for words, actions and motives. After Friday, she had sort of lost track of herself…  

"Umm…"

Now that was a good question: _why_ was he here again?

A seventeen year old girl, innocent to the ways of the world – no matter how much she denied it – was standing a few feet away from him with an unreadable, perhaps slightly dejected expression on her face and all he could allow himself to think was that if he had come, it was only to see her. If he had come, it was just to make sure that she was okay, that he hadn't made her sad, that she wasn't hurt because of him like Sano claimed. If he had come, it was because he couldn't get away; he had come because she was continuously on his mind.

"Kenshin?"

So much doubt, so much apprehension was laced in that one word's warbled pronunciation: that unusual hesitance in her voice snapped him right out of it. He was making her uneasy; he never wanted to be the cause of her unease, it just wasn't right!

"Didn't I mention a raincheck Friday?" he spoke at long last, a small smile quirking his lips upwards, a short stride bringing him that much closer to her – which wasn't saying all that much at all. Nevertheless, it was enough to make her pulse quicken.

"I… umm… I guess you did. I just… I wasn't expecting you to…"

"To do good on the raincheck?"

One step closer: louder palpitations; words akin to a confirmation that, if indeed held any semblance of truth, were startling.

"In a nutshell!" she breathed out shakily, offering Kenshin a wobbly smile.

The wind picked up, causing her messily tied hair to whip about her, long, sable strands unfurling in thick vines that sheltered her from the cold and absorbed her form into the cover of the cloudless night.

"I did ask if I could take a raincheck, didn't I?"

Another step closer: overpowering unwonted tremors; incertitude, fright and relief pulling at a diverse range of sensitive heart strings, each more fragile than the last.

"Umm… yes… but people don't _actually_…" 

"Make due on rainchecks?

One more step: hitched breath; hope so eager that it is as vulnerable as any commonly held belief - a flat earth that Aristotle and Copernicus deemed round, humanity in the long run accepting, yet dwindling in the new development's uptake.  

"That's the natural order of things!" Kaoru remarked with a high-pitched giggle.

"Then… chaos," right foot forward, "panic," left foot forward, "and disorder" right, left, halt: "my work here is done!"

He was too near for comfort. She was too far out of reach.

"Quoting the populace to make a raincheck sound scary and dangerous: should I be cowering away with my tail between my legs _Kenny_?"

If he was comfortable this close, then Kaoru Kamiya could take the heat, butterflies and expectant shivers that crisscrossed up and down her spine, not to mention anything else he threw at her; if there was one thing that could get her butt in gear and her mind back where it needed to be, it was a presumptuous boy thinking he could outsmart or daunt her. 

"It is much to my chagrin that I must confide in you, Miss Kamiya, how very unimaginative and dull a person I am: were it not for the creativity of others, I would have run out of lines years ago. I believe that, if it worked in someone else's favor, you try it out and stick with it." Kenshin quipped.

"Sounds like a safe way to live… if plagiarizing weren't illegal."

"Well," he said cracking a smile, pleased by her sudden display of liveliness, "I am all about wearing seatbelts and installing smoke alarms!"

"You know… in polite social circles, it is considered tasteful to call people before dropping by their homes unexpectedly after sundown." She hinted at his 'rudeness' – never mind that he was the best-spoken guy she had ever met – smugly crossing her arms over her chest.

Sheepishly, he brought one of his hands to the back of his head and grinned bashfully: riding on impulse wasn't precisely his forte, nor was it something that could follow regular protocol.  

"I guess my social skills are a bit rusty, that they are! Having Sano and my teachers as the only human contact in months doesn't precisely warrant the honing of etiquette techniques."     

Right: there _truly_ was no sunshine when she was gone! Kenshin had caught the petite girl so completely off guard, that for a second there she had forgotten all about his ex-girlfriend. Regaining awareness of this was good since she could now properly vent the anger she had been harboring. However, once his last words began to sink in and she pondered on how he had - as far as she could gather anyway – shut himself off from the world entirely after the perfect woman – at least that's how she had come to think of her in her silly little self-deprecating head – had walked out on him, she didn't feel like going all homicidal on him. Call her soft and weak and stupid, but she just didn't have it in her to be mean after he so unassumingly admitted to being such a loner. No one could actually take pleasure in that kind of life, not in her eyes.

"You should get out more often Kenshin: you could learn a thing or two!" she proclaimed with feigned flippancy, somehow letting go of any resentment that had recently been plaguing her; it had been too nice a day to bother with petty feelings anyhow.

"Care to be my mentor then?" he asked, realizing that this was his chance to set things right. "I'm not sure that socializing alone is going to get me anywhere… or that it is sane."

Hunh?!! Was he asking her out? What was he on??? Who did he take for her anyway, a last minute resort when all other plans have gone bust? And how come she didn't want to refuse? What was _she_ on???

"Right now?"

"I thought that we both had agreed upon cultivating a 'carpe diem' outlook on life." Kenshin justified, knowing that he was pushing the envelope.

"It's seven o'clock, it's a school night and I have homework." Kaoru stated firmly: if he had to go pick up his ex-girlfriend at the airport and ignore her all weekend, then she had a right to be busy Monday night. The fact that she wanted to drop all pretenses and have coffee with him did not have to influence her decision... did it?

"You also only live once and, as your tutor, I would be more than glad to help you with your homework." he stubbornly insisted, easily finding the loopholes in her logic.

If there was one thing to be said about Kenshin Himura, it was that although mildly self-conscious, modest and humble, he was not a little boy. The redhead standing before a girl who thought she had everyone all figured at times was not some kid from her classroom who had barely made it to second base; he was a man that understood both love and pain. Even if he appeared to be younger physically, even if he could not accept certain things about himself – for flawed he was –, even if he had yet to discover his own heart and still had a lot of growing up to do, he was more experienced and thus less inclined to back off when the object of his desires pulled the 'I-have-to-wash-my-hair-Saturday-night' card on him. In the end, haunted constructs of a less than righteous nature could and would keep him at bay, but certainly not a callow teen's wishy-washy arguments. Rhetoric was not on her side – she lacked the college education for it to be conceivable. He, on the other hand, didn't.

"You might be a math wiz, but you can't be good at everything: it just isn't statistically possible. Today's homework, I'm happy to say, has nothing to do with quadratic equations." Kaoru pressed on, giving him a smug look that seemed to say 'top that sucker!'

"That is true, but one can also be competent in several fields: this too is statistically factual." he countered, something of a confident gleam sparkling in his lavender eyes. The cat was in the bag: except for a specifically tumultuous period of his life, he had always been a fairly good student. Of course, what she didn't know, he could do naught but use to his advantage…

"Unless you happen to know a whole lot about liberalism and war in the context of the European States System, tonight is going to be a very long night of eye-squinting and wrist ache."

Giving it some thought, Kaoru concluded that even if she was putting her foot down because he was being far too audacious, it would be nice to receive some assistance in History and she found herself secretly hoping that he could lend her a hand.   

"If we are talking about Canning's 'Every nation for itself and God for us all!' and Locke, Hume and Smith's influence on liberalism, then maybe I can prevent you from developing eye strain."

So much for an individual's incapability to be omniscient…

"Actually, just Locke's influence. But, hey, if I mention those other two crazy kids, I might get extra grades or something!" 

Kenshin allowed himself to smirk cockily for a millisecond: it's not that he wasn't modest or anything, but when you hit the jackpot, feeling exceptionally proud of yourself can't be helped; it's human nature.

"Is that a yes?" he questioned hopefully.

"It could be… if I weren't still grounded." she answered, more than a little put out.

She really had to suppress a groan and a mouthful of curses - as did he - when that unpleasant subject was brought to light. True, the reason she was grounded had brought them together, but past serendipity was fast loosing its charm as the consequences tolled in.

"Remember when you almost got yourself killed?" he piped up all of a sudden.

"Hmm… I was trying to repress that one memory but sure, how could I forget?" she responded dryly.

"If you bring your books along, we could go to the diner that didn't serve doughnuts; I can help you study and you can complain about the aforementioned lack of doughnuts." he suggested. "Think of it as a study session on friendly terms; like another Friday afternoon."

Kaoru's heart fluttered in her chest: he was making an effort to spend time with her! Kenshin's brain exerted itself: he longed to spend time with her, no matter the cost.

"How about I let my parents think of it as a study session while I endearingly picture it as a ticket to freedom?"

Relief washed over the strong headed young man as it became apparent that he had gotten his way. At seven P.M., he wasn't sure what he wanted, he was confused and overwhelmed; fifteen minutes later, all he wanted was to sit down with Kaoru Kamiya's delightful self and simply enjoy her company.

Of course, she awakened things in him that made him question the ingenuity of his desires but, for the moment, he was more than happy to settle for her friendship. He could never seek to aspire more or allow himself that much: he just didn't deserve it.

"I'm not one for lying…" he cautioned: if he was to be around her and keep a clear head and stick to the plan he had outlined seconds after her sweet acquiescence, then he would desperately need all kinds of distractions, namely a big, fat book explaining, amongst other things, the settlement that ended the 'Thirty Years War'.

"Oh, we'll study" she reassured him "…some."

 "Some is good." he squeaked out.

 "Some is good and _then_ some!" she clarified chirpily, all trepidation and tension long gone.

"So?" he asked one final time, to be on the safe side.

Our girl smiled so bright that, had she been a beacon, three blocks down from her house and all across the country the steady light emanating from her could have guided all the cattle home in the otherwise pitch dark.

"Let me go get my things." she chirped, racing through the gate as fast as her feet could carry her.

Kenshin simpered: he hadn't felt this good in days. His bad mood lifted and, somehow, being out of detergent, receiving annoying correspondence from his surrogate 'father' and coming to terms with his former girlfriend being with child were the farthest things from his mind.

Apparently, a bubbly seventeen year old could have quite an effect on him! At some other point in his life, he would have found the situation embarrassing and ridiculous; now… now things were no doubt changing drastically and, as his stomach rumbled, he shrugged away all existentialist crises and pulled a Sano: he centered all his thoughts on food. After all, a guy had to eat sometime…

_Reviewer Responses:_

**To ****Nigihayami Haruko****: **I wasn't familiar with the Sheena Easton song you mentioned in your review, but once I read the lyrics, I totally agree with you: had I known of that particular song, it would have been on the soundtrack for this chapter,       without a doubt! I know that there was next to zero K/K interaction last chapter, and I am aware that this one has a long part centering solely on Tomoe but I think the end pretty much makes up for it. Hey, at least I tried… looks down at floor all pouting lips and dejected airs Were I to consider Miss Yukishiro's gastronomical inclinations, cod fish would probably NOT be on her favored menu; however, aren't _you_ glad that wasn't her major revelation? Yes, Tomoe Yukishiro is pregnant       and Kenshin is not the father: try building a bigger wedge between them than that!  As for being a Sano fan… aren't we all? Seriously, how could someone NOT like Sano??? There is so much depth to him and so many things that can be explored      through his character! As far as a mopey Kaoru goes, I didn't intend to write her that way, it sort of came out. I'm glad though, because that last part with the phone is one of my favorite scenes in the whole story so, I'm glad that it struck you as 'magnificent', even with all its simplicity. I must confess, adored your review and I'm sorry I didn't update sooner! Please don't give up on me because of my little time inequities! Till next time (I hope) and thank you!

**To Shaeya Sedjet: **I don't think admitting to Sano being a favorite is betrayal to K/K at all! He is very much an essential part       of their lives and their relationship's development. In fact, sometimes I like to think of him as their fairy godmother!!! suddenly gets whacked over the head with a zanbatou Thanks for taking the time to read this fic and review it: it means a lot to me. Here's to hoping you enjoyed this chapter!!! Bye!

**To Carrie: **Thank you! Thank you for loving my story! Thank you for reviewing! Thank you for putting up with my inconsistent updating patterns! If you ever have any complaints though, feel free to do so: I am open to constructive criticism         always! Till the next installment!

**To Aryanne: **You know, if you like Aoshi's personality then stay tuned because sometime in the near future he will be making an appearance! But, as you very well know, it's all very 'hush hush' as is everything with the tall, broad-shouldered          Zen master! That being said, if you have any pointers for his character development – you know, so he doesn't come out all     _that_ OCC and stuff – feel free to share! YOU taking lessons from MY writing style??? Are you kidding me??? I just finished reading your last installment of 'Silver Cross' and it is pure genius! Not a fan of the monster, man-stealing, ice-queen and über-bitch otherwise known as Tomoe, hunh? Wouldn't be the first one actually (believe me, I have a long list of people who       want to slip her laudanum, bomb her residence, set her house on fire, tie her up and leave her stranded on a railroad track and a million other fantastical 'how to get rid of a succubus' schemes.) Personally, I don't think she's all that bad, but it's not like I want her to end up with Kenshin either. I think it's safe to say that I ruined their chances of reconciling but, she won't be       leaving the scene as fast as that. Intrigued? Good! satisfied smirk graces face Thanks for the review and bye for now!

**To : **Maybe you aren't Cupid but I think Sano is doing his fair share to earn his wings, wouldn't you agree? Hahaha. If     you are curious as to the reasons Sano doesn't like Tomoe, it's simple and complicated at the same time: status has      nothing to do with the dislike and those two having a past together is a big no-no. I can't explain much right now, so as      not to ruin the rest of the story for you, but I can let you in on this much: Sano does not appreciate the way that Tomoe has made Kenshin feel. Sorry I can't be more specific yet, but in time you will come to understand. Thank you for sticking around and reviewing: those babies do wonders to relieve me of stress!

**To Rhapsody07: **Tomoe, Tomoe, Tomoe… whatever shall we do with her? How do so many RK fans loathe her? Let us count the ways…

**To missaw: **It feels so nice to get huggled!!! Sugar and spice and everything complex in this life: that is what Kenshin is        made of! gets sakabatoued to hell Isn't it just too much fun to make fun of _Kenny's_ androgynous looks, though? Really,        he's one of my favorite manga characters and all, and I do think he is drool-worthy (speaking of: have you seen the movie 'Troy'? That movie is taking eye-candy to a whole other level) only, sometimes, he looks and acts too much like a girl. In spite of that, I won't complain: after all, it IS part of his charm to enjoy doing the laundry and cooking and drawing baths for his woman… come to think of it, I should write a fanfic about Kenshin being a housekeeper! Hahaha! Huggles for you too     and till next chapter!

**To Misato-Katsuragi2: **So, Tomoe didn't _exactly_ do something bad to Kenshin but, if you still wanna beat the snot right out of her, go ahead! Only… you are going to have to get in line because there are plenty of reviewers here that will do anything to beat you to the punch – literally! I'm guessing you weren't a big fan of my Tomoe piece this chapter but, I honestly think the end compensated. Oh, what did you think of the revelation??? I am eager to know about that – your opinion is important to me, you know. By the way, thanks for your continuous support: it's inspiring.

**To VanyD: **1) You are amazing! You know just how to make a girl's mood lift up into the clouds. 2) You are yet another person who wishes Tomoe would just drown in a pool of her own Tomoeness and, I get it, but I need her in the story. Never fear though, now that she's _expecting_ I don't think Kenshin and her are about to hit it off again. 3) Regular updating is kindda    non-descript for me till the end of the semester – only a few more weeks to go! Yey!    4) I promise to read your story and leave a very long review as soon as the semester reaches its end! 5) I love that you are one of my reviewers!!! 6) Thanks for always being there. 7) Farewell and take care!

**To EnjeruJoshin: **You… couldn't be more wrong if you tried! But, I love you all the same sweetcheeks, so don't worry about it! Well, I think the last chapter was pretty much as long as the others but, since you complained  and you _are_ one of my favorites (promise not to tell giggles quirkily) I made this one longer, just for you! YES! I AM IMPORTANT! I AM BEAUTIFUL! I AM NUMBER ONE!!! giant anvil falls from the sky and squashes Iram into nothingness Well, I guess it _was _time for a reality check after I went into delusions of megalomania. Pat my ego but don't rub it; otherwise it gets too big and is liable to explode. I hope you managed to download the manga – as hard as it sounds given the dial-up connection factor. I'm off on my little cloud now, but keep in touch. Remember… I am _this_ close to accepting your proposal! Kissies! Bye!

**To Ocean Fish: **Lucy's home now and Lucy has got some explaining to do! ominous thunder booms in the background

_"You don't ask me to forgive you with respect. You don't even think to call me 'Big Cheese' or 'Grand Kahuna'. Instead,       you come into my story's review section on the day my daughter is to be married, and you, uh, ask me to murder for money…_?_"_ Well… umm… I don't know what happened there. I think Don Vito Corleone took possession of my body for a       second there. Wow, is this what happens when you forget to review??? Oh well sunny skies and birds chirping Welcome home again pookie! And remember… you are family now! ominous thunder booms one again

BYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEE AND THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANKSSSSSSSSS!  


	17. Moments: Sparkles and Fizzes PART I

_STANDARD__ DISCLAIMERS APPLY: _When you still live with your parents and they pay for your schooling, what you _think_ you own and what you _actually_ own are very different things. That being said, owning the rights to an anime and manga when the chances that you _actually_ own the T.V set or any of the manga booklets in your bedroom are pretty slim, is kindda out of the question…

**Quick little message from author: **I just have to say that the response I received for chapter 16… I have no words. For a person that can feel so unsure about everything sometimes, reviews like the ones I received have an amazing effect. I would just like to take a moment to thank you all collectively – the individual answers are, as usual at the bottom of the page – for your patience and your, in a sense, undivided attention. Every little word touches my heart and I know that sounds really corny and I'm not one for corny – though this chapter might just go on ahead and prove me wrong – but it's the truth. I don't know about you guys, but I think nothing can express anything better than the 'rarely pure and never simple' truth.

Read on…

**Soundtrack: **Tegan and Sara – 'Divided'; Alex Bauer and Zazie – 'A ma place'; Manu Chao – 'Me gustas tu'; Counting Crows – 'Mr. Jones'; Nine Days – 'Story of a girl'; Jem – 'Maybe I'm amazed'.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Moments: Sparkles and Fizzes [PART I].**

****

__

_"If being bored is a __crime__, someone handcuff __me__!" _Misao thought to herself as she counted the ceiling tiles for the umpteenth time. Monday nights were always such a drag…

She had called Kaoru to complete their daily ritual of phone 'I-wonder-what-it-would-be-like-to-have-sex' - which included that and many other girly topics of discussion – but, strangely enough, she was out studying. Apparently, she and the boy that held her hand in the palm of his hand – even if she blatantly denied the obvious – had found a way to patch things up: good for them!

Kaz was at his father's, which meant that he was locked up in his room and refusing to partake on all activities that required human contact of any kind: talk about a strained, in serious need of counseling father/son relationship!

Danielle wasn't even in the country – something about a deceased relative and an inheritance – and Terry was probably asleep already – too much wild partying on the weekend and not enough hours of shuteye.

With every single member of the gang doing their own thing, sitcoms that promised 'fun for the whole family!' airing on TV and pending homework that could keep on pending for all eternity if she had her way, Monday night was proving to be the dullest day in the calendar.

It didn't help matters any that tonight of all nights was Yuriko's birthday.

__

_"Yuriko…"_

Slowly, the young girl sat up on the bed, pulled up her socks and walked towards the window. Shoving the curtains aside gently, she peered through the glass at the lovely Victorian-style home that had stood beside her family's own house for ages and took in what little she could make out of the living room.

Two months ago, for undisclosed reasons, Aoshi Shinomori had flocked back to the nest three years after moving away to college, his position as the boy-next-door therefore reinstated.

Needless to say that Misao was one happy camper after this sudden turn of events but, nevertheless, she was also puzzled: it wasn't every day that after leaving familiar comforts and opting to fly solo a man like Aoshi stepped back through the front door of his mother's house, luggage in tow.

Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, Misao had snooped, cross-examined, eavesdropped and lied until, eventually, the truth was revealed: she still remembered how her heart had dropped to the pit of her stomach and her eyes had promptly flooded with bitter tears. It truly was a day she never wanted to go over again and, for once, she wished that she had left well enough alone; some things one is better off not knowing.

Hesitantly, she lifted her hand and pressed it on the window pane: there was always so much more than met the eye. They both really looked happy – as happy as he could appear to be these days anyhow – and ever so normal.

A mother and her son sat before a long pine table talking and admiring the birthday cake that he had lovingly bought for her, as well as the still wrapped gift that he cradled in his arms. The moonlight pouring through the open outswing French doors, combined with the lighting emitted by the ceiling chandelier's eight light-bulbs, highlighted the scene, giving it a touch of warmth, serenity and homeliness that made all seem well with the world, at least within those four walls: in all honesty, they painted the picture of perfect normalcy.

__

_"How can it be?"_

Gripping tightly to the faded blue curtain, she steadied herself and bit her bottom lip hard.

He was lighting the candles now, fumbling with the matches as Yuriko smiled on tenderly and clapped her hands together in excitement.

Almost reverently, Misao lifted the window frame and poked her head out.

__

_"How can it be?!!"___

The lights went out, but the ignited wicks continued to shed a faint light upon the room making shadows dance on the walls, relatively obscuring both Yuriko and her son's features, her beautiful lavender dress paling to a dull lilac color. Her smile remained bright and infantile, but the rest of her seemed to be evanescing and wilting, the brilliance of hues from seconds before dying out too quickly to stop, too fast to catch.

__

_"Why?"_

She gritted her teeth whilst swallowing loudly, shaking her head, denying it all: what she was seeing, what she was believing, what she was hoping and what she knew, for a fact, was real; all had to be denied. She couldn't bare to watch anymore, to see how nothing hinted at what was to come, what had already started, what had begun to take its toll.

Unable to look on in without experiencing a breakdown, Misao took a step backwards, her grasp on the drapes easing up, her hand softly caressing the fabric in its lethargic descent back to her side, its rightful place.

Once her palm made contact with her thigh, the wind picked up and flying right out the window the gauzy, billowing material went, banishing the god awful truth from sight, but not from her mind.

__

_"Aoshi…"_

When the curtain fluttered back in, she decided it was time to close the damn window and go find something else to do, something that would not lead her thoughts toward the inevitable and the neighboring house. She could always reduce her brain cell count by reading the T.V. guide…

Now, Misao was never a person typically known for her restraint so, no matter how much she wanted to shut the world out, glancing over her shoulder one last time just as the lights flickered back on in the Shinomori's living room was a given.

Yuriko was laughing and rattling a gift-wrapped box gleefully, Aoshi's hand resting comfortably on her shoulder as he silently looked on.

Prussian blue and peridot collided abruptly, locking in a stare that communicated what a thousand words never would be able to. And though he did not sigh, though he did not blink, though he did not let any emotion show, she could all the same see the one question that had also been plaguing her reflected in his own eyes: why?

The thick mauve curtain that hung elegantly in the Shinonoris' living room quivered into undulating waves riding on the breeze, lifted upwards simulating flight twice and then took off through the open French doors, flapping in the night sky, whisking away the unyielding stare of penetrating slate blue eyes.

The wind settled and so did the draperies' swerving and nightly adventures: the moment was gone.

* * *

"I still stand by what I mentioned earlier: it wasn't the brightest thing to do."

"Well _excuse __me_ for trying to live a little! For your information, it wasn't meant to be a bright or even a bold move; it was something spontaneous and freeing that did not machinate itself with ulterior connotations of any kind."

"You could have hurt yourself."

"Sure, I _could have_, but I _didn't_."

"You _didn't_ get hurt, but you _could_ have been killed."

"You know what? I don't know why I even bothered telling you!"

"I asked!"

"Well, God only knows what Sano was thinking when he told you!"

"Probably that it's not everyday that his co-pilot stands up on her car seat and exposes herself to unnecessary danger."

"And just where did the guy spouting the advantages of a 'carpe diem' lifestyle at my front door fifteen minutes ago run off to?"

"He's revising his theories as we speak…"

"You can get so grouchy sometimes…" Kaoru badmouthed her table companion, choosing to blatantly ignore his truthful comments.

Kenshin sighed and wrote her off as a lost cause: he'd have better luck convincing random pedestrians that pigs could fly than getting this particularly stubborn female to admit to her recklessness.

"So… should I start getting comfortable and feeling at home here, or are you two ever going to order?" the unhappy busboy demanded, his sneaker-clad foot tapping away to oblivion.

Again, Kenshin sighed and wondered if it would ever be possible for them to spend more than fifteen minutes together without bickering: one glance at Kaoru, who was currently chiding the waiter for his insolence, and he let his head loll back in defeat.

__

_"Forget it: I'd have better luck convincing_ myself_ that pigs can fly…"_

* * *

Grumbling and muttering to himself, Yahiko made his way over to Jiro's side, ripped a page from his notebook and placed it in the senior's stout gloved hands.

"Table four placed an order?" the old man asked impishly, smirking at the crinkled piece of paper dangling from his thumb and index finger's hold.

"More like it sprouted an ugly, nasty microorganism with a big mouth. At least the redhead keeps it simple, but she more than makes up for it by requesting a slice of pie and giving me an unasked for piece of her mind in return. I swear, some people…" the young boy complained, just knowing that his day couldn't possibly get any worse.

"_Some people_ are paying costumers and you seem to forget that sometimes." Jiro admonished, leaning away from the yellow counter.

Yahiko rolled his eyes and looked towards the annoying couplet: they were still at it! True, she seemed to have come to grips with reality a bit and he also looked less uncomfortable and twitchy, but he'd bet a whole month's pay that she was still whining about this or that and that the considerably patient guy in front of her was still trying to make her see the light, or his version of it anyway…

"Hey old man, can I get off work earlier tomorrow?" the teen inquired, making a clean cut from the previous subject of conversation that was doing nothing to get him on the chef's good graces.

"Considering that you shouldn't even _be_ working right now, I don't see why not." his boss groused, squinting at the illegible scribble that was table four's order.

"I'm just taking over Helen's shift tonight: her mom's sick and you know there was no one else around to cover for her. Besides, my being here tonight works in your favor, old man, so quit complaining already; if it weren't for me, _you_ would have had to wait on that weird couple over there."

"Yes, yes, you've already whined enough over them. Never mind that you aren't the only hired help around or that I'm glad you didn't leave me hanging when poor Helen had to run off about an hour ago: the point is that you're only a kid and it's past your bedtime."

Yahiko seethed: he hated it when Jiro pulled the 'you're-only-fourteen-years-old' number on him; and after everything he did around the diner too!

"Where do you get off calling me kid? Old age must be messing with your brains. Besides, the only one here who is up way past bedtime is you, you fossil!"

Jiro looked up to the decaying ceiling canvas for patience. The faded and chipped image of a brown-eyed saint smiling compassionately down at him always managed to somewhat soothe him. Despite all the renovations he'd made after finding the torn down chapel all those decades ago, he'd never quite convinced himself to paint over the frescos on the roof: he didn't have the heart to finish off what some demolition crew had started, it seemed by far too disrespectful for his standards.

"Oi Jiro, need a miracle ear or something? I'm talking to you!"

The whelp's voice and impertinent speech patterns brought him back from his thoughts. There was a reason why he couldn't desecrate those ancient images, just as there was a reason why he couldn't fire the brat: the only problem was that, as of now, he couldn't quite remember all the 'whys' and 'hows'.

"I get no respect…" he concluded with a sigh.

"So… I get off work early tomorrow, right?" the boy continued, paying no heed to his employer's disheartened murmur.

"Yes, yes, now go do your job: a party of five just walked in!" the diner's owner exclaimed crabbily, pointing a finger at the main entrance where five boys stood goofing around, looking out for a proper place to seat and enjoy a light meal.

Yahiko turned around and followed the direction Jiro's finger was pointing at with his eyes, only to have his face fall in dismay when sudden recognition kicked in: if those kids found out he worked here, he was dead.

Okay, so the diner wasn't McDonald's-humiliating; it just so happened to be closer to the school though, which meant that he could get harassed daily after school hours if the jerks were so inclined: bullying him was, after all, one of their favorite pastimes.

"They don't pay me enough for this…" he mumbled under his breath, slamming his head against the counter none-too-gently.

"Someone you know?" the elderly man interrogated with a quirked eyebrow.

"Just some kids from school…"

Old man Jiro chuckled. Just because he was well beyond sixty didn't mean he deserved no credit! He had seen that look before, and on his own, less wrinkled face, to be precise. So the kid got bullied around – as if he didn't have enough to deal with already!

"Suck it up, kid!"

Yahiko Mioujin's cheeks flared red and he wished that he very well could, but the bile rising in his throat was keeping him from accomplishing such a feat. He didn't like being made fun of and he despised seeing people get picked on, but he was a fourteen-year-old freshman against a bunch of influential sophomores; he was a nobody against several well-known creeps and that just meant that the odds were remarkably against him.

The fact that they were jerks and that he tried his best to make himself as invisible as humanly possible meant nothing. The fact that he worked hard for a chance at a half-decent future while they wasted their afternoons away shooting hoops at the park meant nothing. Life wasn't fair and he was the living proof behind that one miserable commonly held belief.

"And remember, I cook the food: just say the word and they won't know what hit 'em!"

Yahiko's eyes went as wide as dinner plates as he fixed his plump employer with a questioning stare. Life was unfair, that was an understatement unto itself, but that wasn't the only axiom known to mankind that revolved around the very notion of life: in some circles, it was also said that life is full of surprises. Thus, with a grateful smile and newfound courage in his heart, he spoke:

"Thanks Jiro but if there's another case of food poisoning linked to this place, they'll shut you down… or at least they should."

"Yes… 'Tis a pity that the penal system is so… _flawed_… isn't it?"

The old man's cheeky grin truly was priceless!

"Give 'em your worst you old geezer!" Yahiko proclaimed, a giant grin pleasantly easing itself onto his formerly grim face, dimpling his cheeks in all the right places – namely the corners of his now smiling mouth.

"Yes, yes, you just go get their orders and leave the rest to me: compliments of the chef and whatnot." Jiro said, waving the youngster away towards the recently arrived costumers' table.

"Yes sir!" the rowdy kid mock saluted before turning on his heel, all determination, professionalism and serious airs.

"Oh and Yahiko?'

"Yeah?" he called out over his shoulder, giving the man at the counter a backward glance.

"Tsubame is allergic to chocolate so, when you leave earlier tomorrow to pick her up and take her out for her birthday, stick with flowers."

Yahiko paused mid-stride, shaken up and dully embarrassed.

"Are all senile citizens of the world this nosy, or is it just you?"

With that rude remark, the teenage boy squared his shoulders, counted backwards from ten in his head and walked on, over to the table with the awaiting 'amiable' party of five.

The saint painted on the ceiling always looked pretty much the same, though every once in a while a new crack was made visible in his sympathetic features or dark robes.

"I get no respect." Jiro uttered with the usual sigh, tearing his gaze from the discolored icon.

He wasn't one for mass every Sunday, he wasn't a bible-spouting kind of guy and he didn't wear a silver cross round his neck. But, he believed in the sanctity of certain things.

Like the frescos painted on the roof of his workplace. Like the innocence of a boy being forced to grow up too fast too soon.

He knew there was a reason why he couldn't get rid of the paintings, just as there was a reason why he couldn't turn his back on the boy; sometimes he merely didn't want to remember why the reasons _should_ exist, why the preservation of certain values couldn't be more implicit instead of a big chore.

Life wasn't fair, but he did believe in making one's own justice: after all, there needed to be some form of divine compensation for the forgotten…

* * *

Nodding her head, she slurped the last of her tall vanilla milkshake through a pink crazy straw. Nodding her head, she took a giant bite out of her turkey sandwich, a drop of ketchup trickling down the corner of her mouth. Nodding her head, she stuck a chili fry in his mouth: so what if they didn't sell donuts here? One thing was for sure, she was keeping the crazy straw – she hadn't used one of those since she was a child and, man were they fun!

After getting over the initial shock of suddenly having a chili fry rammed into his mouth – while he was explaining her history homework to her, no less – he realized that her attention span rivaled Sanosuke's five second's of deep concentration record time and that he was getting nowhere with her.

Slowly turning in his chair, Kenshin blinked a few times in her direction, curious as to when she would finally notice that he had stopped speaking…

Six to seven astonished blinks later, Kaoru's soft blue eyes landed on him and, at the sight of his slightly gaping jaw, she set her sandwich down on her plate, smiled dazzlingly his way and popped another delicious chili fry into his mouth, oblivious to the ketchup stain on the corner of her lips.

He tried to be mad at her, he really did, but she kept on smiling and chewing and smiling and chewing and smiling and chewing, utterly blind to the spot of ketchup blemishing her left dimple: it was funny and kind of cute, even if she had made him spend a good twenty minutes wasting his breath needlessly.

Resigning himself to the fact that sudden enlightenment was not going to hit her over the with a stick any time soon, Kenshin picked up a napkin and gently blotted it against the left corner of her mouth, wiping the red smear away at long last.

Kaoru was torn: should she be delighted at his delicate gesture or should she be embarrassed at the thought of sporting a stain on her face for an interval of time that she could never hope to know? Maybe she should just let it go; one way or another, she could end up reading too much into things – and to think that seconds ago she was as jubilant as can be at the prospect of owning a crazy straw again after that particular eighties fad passed, taking away half the excitement of blowing bubbles into a glassful of milk along with it.

"You had some ketchup there." Kenshin spoke softly, unhurriedly withdrawing his hand from her face.

"Is it gone?" she asked in a hushed tone, barely daring to speak above a whisper.

"All gone." He answered huskily, his violet eyes permanently locked on her own.

"Thank you." Kaoru breathed out, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks as she looked down at the open books on the table and unconsciously swept a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She had never ever felt this nervous before. He was looking at her funny and she didn't know what to make of it. She didn't want to read too much into things, she was afraid of setting herself up for one heck of a fall, even if she was prone to land on her feet.

She was agile, but also pretty darn clumsy: who was to say that, instead of her feet, this time around her ass wasn't the one body part that took the full brunt of the crash? Better be safe than sorry, that's what her mom always said…

"So… you were saying something about liberalism being self-destructive?"

Kenshin sighed. The mood was broken. Not that he was sure that he would have wanted to act upon anything, since he wasn't really a person inclined to 'seize the bull by the horns' as his obnoxious guardian would better phrase it, but he couldn't deny that he was disappointed by her reaction to… the situation. At least he had gotten a blush out of her…

"I doubt that any political theory has much to do with the Self Kaoru, even if it is founded on ideals of individualism as is the case." Kenshin spoke, abiding to her subitaneous wishes of sticking to the original plan a.k.a boring homework and dull conversation.

"I know _that_!" She protested, before proceeding to explain: "What I meant to say is that said political current was indirectly responsible for the creation of the only enemy that could bring it down, right?"

"In a sense. According to Marx-"

"Not that guy again!" Kaoru wailed, frowning down at the remains of her sandwich.

"Oro? You don't like Marx?" he questioned, more out of morbid curiosity than anything else. To be truly honest, he couldn't give a toss about the Communist Manifesto and everything else he was tutoring her through; he never did like his sociology classes much.

"Personal vendettas aside, since we are _obviously_ living in the same timeline as the man," she commented wryly, "I merely dislike what they did with his theories."

"How so?"

"Let's just say that 'misinterpretation' is not a big enough word for the sequence of events that took place in the name of sweet liberating freedom, Marxism and the misfits' flag."

"Rarely does an applied theory have anything to do with the model upon which it was based." He concurred solemnly.

"Rarely do I like what you have to say when we talk about stuff like this." She replied, with a roll of her eyes: that pessimistic streak of his really did rub her the wrong way most of the time…

"I don't blame you," he shrugged, "you are, after all, young and idealistic, I take it."

Kaoru scowled, his patronizing smirk an insult to her intelligence. He always did that, always put some form of distance between them that was nothing more than plain idiocy. He made himself out to be some sort of octogenarian when he hadn't even graduated from college and looked, for all the world, is if he hadn't even made it past high school. He could be so annoying sometimes, casting out signals that were, beyond mixed, more like all over the place!

"Oh please, and you're what, my grandpa?" she scolded, sick and tired of his cynical attitude, "You have no faith in mankind: there's no I age for that, _I take it_."

"It's hard to be a firm believer in the goodness of humanity when a world shaped like a perfect sphere spins, twists and turns itself into a deformed pretzel, Kaoru."

"So, in order for you to believe in something, it has to have achieved perfection? Boy! Are you setting yourself up to live perpetually disappointed!"

There she sat, arms crossed, eyes blazing. She never seemed to run out of things to say or ways to put his whole perception of life in question. She clearly wasn't one to keep quiet, about anything; then again, he had been made aware of that fact on their very first, fluke encounter.

As always, he tried to find words and phrases that would do him justice and rightfully defend his beliefs, but she kept shooting him down, which only served one purpose: to keep him rebutting like an attorney gone bonkers.

"I know that perfection is an impossibility Kaoru. However, I can't help but think that maybe the world shouldn't have to be as screwed up as it is." he calmly persevered.

Kaoru sighed and let her head plop against the table. The man was impossible: one minute he was damning the entire human race; the next, he was proclaiming that there might still be a chance. Of course, as he saw it, the conditions that could very well lead to a prosperous life on planet Earth were of standards that far surpassed what society, as a whole, was capable of.

Was he a Virgo or something? He was enough of a perfectionist to at least have an ascendant in Virgo… and maybe Misao was rubbing off on her a little _too_ much…

"Existentialist anguish, here we come…" she deadpanned, heedless of the chili fry that glued itself onto her forehead once she lifted her head from the tabletop. "Did you ever stop to think that _maybe_ you think too much?"

"Oro???" he yelped in shock, his eyebrows receding up to his hairline and hiding themselves away beneath his bangs. "I thought using my brain was supposed to be a _good _thing!"

"It is, only… you should be able to drink a glass of water peacefully without obsessing about the planet running out of good old H²O every two sips, or something."

"I don't think that I get _that_ carried away with my concerns. In fact, if things are indeed as you claim them to be, I would have never picked up a cigarette in my life and, as it so happens, I was a nicotine addict for four years straight. Besides, if people aren't conscientious and-"

"And socially aware and blah, blah, blah." she cut him off, "I cannot believe I'm siding with Misao on this one, but you intellectuals, activists and asocial folk have really got to lighten up a bit!"

Rolling his eyes, he declared her a lost cause for the second time in less then an hour and… got over himself when he noticed the chili fry dangling from her forehead. She could be kind of cute when passionately thriving to make her opinion known, her body language and 'other' contingencies generally contradicting her intentions.

"If someone doesn't worry about our world's fate, then no one will Kaoru." Kenshin said softly, leaning forward, stretching his arm and affectionately picking the fry off of her.

"I understand…" she struggled to string the words out, her hitched breath suddenly becoming a slight problem. "I just don't see why 'someone' has to be you all of the time. It's okay to be selfish once in a while, Kenshin."

Before she knew what was happening, her hand was sliding across the table and curling around his own, the chili fry incident long forgotten in view of the bolder actions taking place.

Kenshin was speechless, thunderstruck and overwhelmed by the feathery touch of the fingers that hesitantly curved round his knuckles and squeezed his hand fondly. It had been a long time since he had been touched with such gentle reticence and endearing uncertainty. It had been too long…

"So… please be selfish for a while and… sit here with me and talk to me about… about your favorite band and… and let someone else worry about the doomed fate of the world for five minutes. Please Kenshin, just for a little while…" she quietly beseeched.

Her sincere plea… Honest to God, he could not find the right words to piece together what it meant to him to be sitting across from someone with such kindness in their eyes and caring in their voice. And that all this tenderness was directed at him, that all the tenderness sparkling in her azure irises rose to the surface for him was… beautiful.

And, suddenly, he realized that he was in the company of one of the most beautiful creatures on the face of the earth, that he had been blessed with the existence of Kaoru in his life and that _that_ was everything. This moment, it meant everything…

It's in those little sparkling moments that you know your world is changing – fast – and that there's nothing you can do – or want to do – but tag along for the ride.

You know that there will be bumps down the road, that the ride will be far from smooth, but – ah! Those sparkling moments! Aren't they always worth it?

How could one regret or take back a turning point that inspires such pleasurable and new emotions? How could one pull away from such novel and entrancing sensations? How can one refuse the heart?

Allowing himself a rare, true smile, Kenshin met Kaoru's timid, uncertain orbs and lightly squeezed back, his fingers mellifluously threading themselves with her own.

"My favorite band, hunh?" he asked casually, tracing small circles on her fleshy palm with his thumb's calloused pad.

"Umh… yeah." she uttered dumbly, blown away by the feel of his velvety caresses and the amused look in his warm lavender eyes. "I… I… umm… don't even know what kind of… ah… music… you are… ah… into."

What was happening? One minute they had been arguing, then she got annoyed to the point of no return, all of a sudden she grew balls of steel and developed a forward personality without traces of her usual shyness and… voilá! They were holding hands over the napkin holder and she had come down with a phonatory disorder: was it just her or was the world spinning out of orbit?

She HAD to get a hold of herself and relearn proper articulation and the process that would permit the achievement of foresaid goals had better take up less than three minutes, otherwise… otherwise she was a goner and could just kiss all her prudence and sensibility goodbye with a slobbery, resounding SMACK!

Willing herself to regain her bearings and inhale sweet oxygen before she passed out, Kaoru's resolve hardened and, to her credit, she managed to lace together a well-structured sentence:

"Come to think of it though, the long hair pretty much gives you away."

"It does?" he inquired, still lost in a haze.

"Yeah…" she answered, fairly dazzled as well.

"So, what's my favorite band?" he urged her on, the air around the pair heavy and thick with electricity.

"If I had to hazard a guess?" the young girl drew out.

"Yes, if you had to hazard a guess." he prodded evenly, utterly taken by the image of her, their conversation thrust to the far off corners of his mind.

"Guns n' Roses." she stated easily, drinking her table companion in with her piercing sapphire gaze.

The architecture major's head was reeling and he was certain that some people would even go as far as to say that he was experiencing the effects of a ridiculous state of pure rapture best known as 'swooning'.

What was even more ludicrous – if such a feat was indeed possible – was that the situation that had two people transfixed and shaken beyond all they could comprehend could be resumed in seven measly words: two people sitting together at a diner. That was it; there was seriously nothing else to it.

Yet, for Kenshin Himura, the implications – darned little fiends that they were – ran much deeper. Because of that, he was miles away from that nondescript joint tucked away on the corner of a random street, in a city like any other, unwittingly falling in love with a seventeen-year-old schoolgirl like and unlike any other seventeen-year-old schoolgirl living in the twenty-first century.

The words 'Guns n' Roses', however, drove all that to a screeching halt and the magic, and the moonlight's spell and the chipped Formica of the table-tops that had seemed like old lovers' carvings just seconds before were now figments of an extremely overactive imagination and improper maintenance: had there been any mescaline in his iced-tea?

"Did you say 'Guns n' Roses'?" he croaked out.

"Yeah, that's what I said." she responded, confused by the change in atmosphere. Did she say something wrong?

"As in Axel's band?" he continued, eyes wide, his hand unconsciously withdrawing itself and slipping out of her warm grasp.

"Is there _another_ 'Guns n' Roses' that I'm not aware of?" she retorted, unexpectedly feeling a bit chilly.

"Boy am I glad we had this talk, that I am!" he asserted, determined to clear up yet another misconception once and for all. Honestly, what was next? 'You have long hair so you _must_ be a Hell's Angel?' He never got any respect, did he?

"What? Why?" she asked, completely thrown for a loop as to what suddenly crawled up his behind. Why could things between them never be stable or make sense, for that matter?

"Talk about misinterpretation…" he grumbled with a put out sigh.

It's in those little sparkling moments – the ones that in the big picture paint themselves out as short and inconsequential, simple snippets of daily life – that the soul finds sustenance.

It is the touch of a hand that breathes new life into a man that, for years, considered himself a lost cause.

Those little sparkling moments are that which give us all away… and take our breaths away, that make all the rest – past, present and future – ever worthwhile.

Those little sparkling moments, they hold the key to the undecipherable.

It's those little sparkling moments that mean everything…

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_Reviewer Responses:_

> **To Melyan: **Thank you for reviewing and for considering this story different from the most of the existent fanfics on the site. You are right, good stories and especially good writing are extremely hard to find and I am very glad that you don't think me lacking. The plot isn't really all that fancy, but I try to keep everything entertaining; I figure that the way you write really makes the story into something worth reading… or something to throw away in the trash. I put a lot of work into this fic – though it might not seem like it – and it is comments like yours that make me realize that the agony pays off. Keep reviewing, if possible and sorry for the long wait between updates. Bye!
> 
> **To Aryanne:** For starters, congratulations on the newest chapter of 'Silver Cross': it was lovely and I'll be sure to review. I love that you noticed the little hint I dropped with the horoscope reference! No one else mentioned it – isn't foreshadowing grand? Hahahah. You were looking forward to their 'date': in your opinion, how did it go? Wait till next chapter to see what I have planned; I don't think you'll be all that pleased, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. Ups and downs, ups and downs… I'll leave you to think on that then, okay? Thank you for reviewing: you always make me feel special!
> 
> **To Vic'chonn:** Your review had me repeating the word 'wow' over and over again. Freud? Sartre? I don't think I could ever reach the same level as those guys but, I suppose that it wouldn't be wrong to say that they're big influences. Just a few weeks ago I was reading 'Existentialism is a Humanism' for my philosophy class and some things stuck with me – whether I agreed with everything or not is a whole other story. I'm a big fan on reading and a few years ago this Ernesto Sábato book landed on my lap and I figured 'why not?' So I read 'On Heroes and Tombs' and… I spent months turning the pages until I managed to finish it because it's not easy to digest; like you very well said, there's a LOT going on in that guy's head. Thank you for complimenting my little exposé on love – it took forever and a day to write – and stick around because this story is only getting started! Bye and do review for the next chapter!
> 
> **To Misato-Katsuragi2: **In truth, I didn't intend to make Tomoe pregnant, but plans change and the best characters are the ones who tend to write themselves. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to e-mail you before writing this, other wise I would have told you that you can send me all your thoughts any time you like through mail, that's what my e-mail address is there for on my author's profile. On a curious note, as I write this, there's a storm going on outside my window: weird hunh? Till next time!
> 
> **To missaw:** I'm sorry I don't have that many funny little fragments in this chapter – I know you enjoy the comedy quite a lot – and that this chapter took an eternity to make its way onto your computer screen. You've probably seen Troy by now and you've probably therefore figured out that it's a crappy movie but… wasn't the Brad Pitt scene with the towel worth your money? Hahaha.
> 
> **To Shaeya Sedjet:** You love the Sano in this fic and in this chapter he didn't make one lousy appearance. Don't worry though, he was going to be in it, only it was going to come out too long so, as the title indicates, I've split this segment into two parts. This means that, next chapter, our boy will be back. If you found Kenshin's walk sexy, what did you think of the palm caressing? I wrote it and, I swear, it made _me_tingly.
> 
> **To kean:** Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I know it was very cruel of me to not update for so long and I also know that it's becoming a very bad habit but, I couldn't help it! I was sick – sortta still am – and, for some reason, this particular chapter took really long to write and sort itself out; it even got split into two parts! Thank you for the show of emotional support – no need to hack, cough or wheeze there – for even the slightest word can mean a ton.
> 
> **To Rhapsody07:** You know, Tomoe isn't quite out of the picture _yet_. I have plans for her – believe it or not – and you know, you might just end up liking her a little, after a while that is – believe it or not. Stay tuned, 'kay? Kissies.
> 
> **To De: **Now, this particular review was like the icing on the cake. I don't think beaming comes close to describing my behavior after reading it. Your words let me know that this story touched you and that, to me, is the greatest compliment. It delights me to hear that finding my fanfic was like coming across the proverbial needle in the haystack for you. The fact that the character you chose to praise was Kaoru also lifted my spirits. Generally speaking, everyone has taken a liking to my portrayal of Sano and, while I think that's great, it is nice to hear that other characters in the story, like Kaoru, also awaken the readers' interests. I hope this new installment failed to disappoint you and that you continue reading this tale of a simple girl with a simple life that, one day, starts and doesn't stop making 180º spins, twists and turns.
> 
> **To VanyD: **My darling VanyD, what can I say? The semester is finally over, you are INDEED loved and much appreciated, Kaoru spends a lot of time ARGUING with the cutest and most conflicted redhead ever, everyone seems to have a soft spot for Sano (don't worry, he makes an appearance next chapter), the Misao/Aoshi moments will be there, though I am going to be working them in slowly (what did you think about the beginning of this chapter?) and last, but not least, yes, I HAVE FINALLY UPDATED! I read one of your fics and I left you a nice little review (just as I promised I would) and, if time allows, I'll start reading one of your completed works real soon, okay? Till next time!
> 
> **To EnjeruJoshin:** In my author's note last chapter, I explained the trouble I had uploading and formatting. I presume that you might be back from A-kon right now (could you kindly explain what or where A-kon is?) and I hope that you've read the missing chapter as well as this one. I am a bit put down considering that I do not know if the marriage proposal still stands or not? Tell me soon enough please, otherwise, we might have to postpone possible engagement commitments and the flowers will most definitely have to get cancelled. Hahahaha I love you very much darling. Kissies and bye!
> 
> **To Ocean Fish: **First and foremost, I am not telling you who the father of Tomoe's baby is; you will just have to read about it when the time comes. However, I can assure you that there is no way – as in geographically impossible – that Kenshin has anything to do with paternity. Second: you catch on quickly my sweet little pookie-pooh! You are correct in your assumptions that I would not take my time telling the beginnings of Tomoe's tale if I didn't plan on developing her character in the slightest, which can only mean that, she's not quite out of the picture… yet. I am glad that you updated one of your fics and I already did the whole R n' R thing. Now, if only the piano people had new stories to tell… That's a big hint right there! Kisses and many thanks, see you soon!

And that's a wrap! See you all again next time for more flighty turbulence and comic melodrama!

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	18. Chronicle of an atypical love: an Interl...

_STANDARD__ DISCLAIMERS APPLY: _Read it and weep… or rather, every time I read this part of my postings, I choke on a sob or two and wish I would die… not! Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me and, although slightly unfortunate, I can deal with that just fine!

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**Quick little message from author: **Forgive me all for not updating in such a long time – it's been over a month, though I doubt I need to tell anyone. According to the little thingy atop the page, this story is over a year old: wow! Also, thinking about how many chapters I have planned and how I think things are only starting to build up – you'll see what I mean soon enough – I have to gasp and say: double wow! A thousand apologies for taking so long, but I had surgery recently and a week ago my fourth semester of journalism started up again – that's what I get for living on the southern hemisphere! The surgery wasn't anything overly major or dramatic, but it took me out of commission for a while, so sitting in front of the computer and typing away was a big no-no. I'm still recovering, though I feel much better than three weeks ago. I have nothing else to say, except enjoy. **IMPORTANT NEWS: My fanfic "_ALL I WANTED"_ has been nominated for the RKRC 2003 awards. I don't know who nominated ****me**** but, to whoever did it, THANK YOU!!! **I don't really expect to win, considering that I would be running up against such amazing authors as Akai Kitsune and Zeh Wulf, but all the same it is an indescribably thrilling feeling to know that someone thought of me, of my work and decided it was good enough to compete with such other incredibly wonderful fanfics. Once again, thank you.

**Soundtrack: **Stereogram – "Walkie Talkie Man"; Zeca Baleiro – "Proibida pra Mim"; Steven Speaks – "Out of my League"; Jet – "Are you gonna be my girl"; David Gray – "Tidal Wave; Radiohead – "Fake Plastic Trees"; The Decemberists – "Cocoon"; Nelly Furtado – "Try"; Israel Kamakawiwo'ole – "Somewhere over the Rainbow/ What a Wonderful World".

**Reviewing: **Who's your favorite character and why? Who's your least favorite character and why? What would you have me change in the story? What do you wish would be different? I'm open for any and all suggestions. Even if it's just one line, I'll be more than happy to read your comments!

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**_This chapter is dedicated to kean as a really belated birthday present._**

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**Chapter 18: Chronicle of an Atypical Love: an Interlude. **

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**_AUGUST 2001_**

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Sanosuke smirked evilly and rubbed his hands together like some poorly acted out villain –soap-opera style – before swinging open the pine doors and diving in. If he wanted to look smart and actually dress up beyond his usual shabby faded jeans and football jersey get-up, raiding Katsu's closet was the best course of action.

Luckily for Sano, it was the summer holidays and he was spending them chilling back home, which could only mean one thing: his brother's wardrobe was up for grabs.

Not that he was the kind of guy to give clothes and fashion much thought but… well… extreme circumstances called for extreme measures and this was an emergency!

"What are you doing ransacking my closet?"

Squinting his eyes shut and screwing his face into a contorted expression of both pain and displeasure, the brown-haired man turned around slowly, knowing full well that he had just been caught. All that was left for him to do now was pout and endure all the mocking and taunting that would surely ensue once he explained himself. Oh well, two could play that game!

"I think the bigger question here is: when are _you_ coming out of it?"

Katsuhiro Sagara eyed the young man warily, accustomed to this particular evasion tactic that never failed to disappoint. This was the regular card up Sano's sleeve… and he seemed to forget that it had stopped making him cringe years ago.

"For the millionth time in my relatively short existence, I refuse to dignify that with a response." The black-haired sibling calmly spoke, unaffected by the would-be kleptomaniac standing next to his bed who was clearly jesting at scars that never felt a wound.

"And I," Sano said, poking a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the closet, "refuse to deny that I just saw a red boa in there."

A look of utter terror crossed Katsu's face before some quick thinking relaxed and eased it back into the usual detached façade that was the young man's mask, the one every single person puts on in the mornings –eyelash curler or not – to go confront the world without giving the act in itself much thought. Maybe those good old reliable scars _had_ felt a wound or two after all…

"Although it might be hard for a classic textbook macho-type such as you to comprehend this, it is a prop that I require for artistic purposes." he explained haughtily, something that really didn't help his case any.

The fact that Sano had seen him sneaking off into the night wearing the feathery thing and a really tight muscle t-shirt a couple of years back also didn't help matters. He might have been attending art school, but that in no way justified his choice of an alternative lifestyle; those were two very separate things and Katsu had made sure to pummel that knowledge into him when he'd received his admission letter.

Plopping down on the singles bed parked in the middle of the room, the sullen quarterback decided his best course of action would be to drop the subject, like always.

For years now he had been trying to get his older brother to be open and honest about his sexuality but, for a wide and varied array of reasons, the guy just wouldn't let up.

The truth was that their parents' – namely their father's – reaction was probably something he feared greatly. It was, to a certain degree, a well-founded fear for, even if they had both been showered with love and affection, Captain Souzou Sagara of the police department and Yuko Sagara, a lively, down to earth landscape artist, were neither of the boys' biological parents.

Being adopted was not something that either man gave much thought to – they led common and all-around happy lives with the couple that had taken them in – but when something of this magnitude presented itself, doubts and reservations could naught but string along.

Sanosuke himself, when first confronted with signs of Katsu's repressed homosexuality, had been weirded out and, generally speaking, confused. As a result of his mixed feelings, he had tried to turn his back on the facts and deny what was staring him in the face. However, the painting lessons, Madonna posters, tucked-in polo shirts, purple-tinted sunglasses, beaded bandannas and genuine interest in all of the newspaper's sections except for the sports column were things he simply could not ignore, even if the one person that shouldn't chose to do so and played it safe.

Safe had never been the operative word for Sano but, then again, to him few things were as key as family. And it was this, his love and respect for his family that enabled him to accept his brother's sexuality as nothing more but yet another aspect of his personality. Now, if only Katsu would just own up to it and be happy…

"The truth will set you free Katsu." he spoke seriously, giving it one last try.

For his part, Katsu settled for combing his fingers through his hair and looking away, turning his back on the one person that he knew he could always count on. He really hated having this type of conversation; it was frustrating and even slightly embarrassing to have to deal with the same issue over and over again!

"Why is it that every time I come back home I expect you to have matured and after less than five minutes in your presence reality sets in?" he asked coolly.

Heaving an incredibly deep sigh, the younger of the two males decided to call it quits and use his resourceful knack for getting on everyone's nerves as a means to clear the air between them.

"What can I say bro?" Sanosuke proclaimed, smirking mischievously. "Great expectations: you've always had way too much hope in me."

"Which is something akin to placing a bet on a loosing horse… ten times in a row." Katsu supplied, picking up on his brother's lame attempt to change the subject.

"You know what they say," the brown-eyed boy pressed on, rolling onto his side and clutching a pillow to his chest, "if at first you don't succeed, try again; eventually, you _will_ run out of cash."

"Money, patience: potential is infinite whenever you are concerned, brother." he quipped, taking a seat on the bed beside his one and only sibling. In some cases, water was thicker than blood. "So, tell me, why is it that the contents of my closet suddenly fascinate you so?"

Scowling, Sanosuke realized that the only person that would be owning up to anything that evening would, sadly enough, be him. Might as well get it over with…

Sprawling himself on his back, he clutched the pillow tighter, only to find that owning up to any single fragment of his dilemma was harder to do than he originally thought.

"Well, you see… there's this girl…" he clumsily gave it a go. He might not have been a talented orator but he was a tenacious man, a quality that certainly made up for some of his less edifying traits.

"You have a date." The perceptive art major nipped the thorny rose by the bud.

"Wha… Wait… How… How did you know that?" The befuddled quarterback sputtered, awed at his brother's uncanny psychic abilities; never mind that when something is up with a guy, the problem usually starts with the words 'it's about a girl' or 'I ran out of beer'…

"Sano… it's always about a girl. My closet, on the other hand, hasn't had much to do with it before."

"It's not _always_ about some chick, Katsu!" He belted out, ignoring a pair of amused gray eyes that bore holes into his skull. "And anyway… she's not like other girls…"

At the sight of such desolate countenance, one could not help but come to the conclusion that this was a serious affair for, never before had Sanosuke's face grown so grim at the thought or mere mention of one particular dame. Clearly, and however surreally, the man meant business.

"I'm intrigued."

"You should be."

"Why is that?"

"I shouldn't be the only one fucking confused here, that's why."

"What in the world do you have to be confused about? So you like a girl; it's not the end of the world and it's _not_ like you haven't been on a date before. In my opinion, you are blowing things way out of proportion."

The hellion sat up abruptly, growling at this feeling of powerlessness that had taken over ever since that miserable day on the bus: he hadn't been able to stop staring at her then and he couldn't stop thinking on her now. The whole situation was beyond his control and it frustrated him to no end that his own brother could be so freakishly calm about it. He did_ too_ have every damn right to be confused!

"You're not understanding me, Katsu. This girl, she's drop-dead-gorgeous… but she's more than just a pretty face."

Even to his own ears it sounded odd to admit that he wasn't simply attracted to her on account of her good looks. This, of course, threw Katsuhiro Sagara for a loop and now more than ever convinced him that the situation was critical to the point of… to the point of… to a point that was most _definitely _unprecedented!

"What are you saying, exactly?" Katsu questioned tentatively, placing a warm hand on his little brother's shoulder.

Sighing and rubbing his forehead, Sano propped his back against the mattress and sunk into the thick blue-green seas of the fluffy duvet.

"I don't know, Katsu." He voiced tiredly. "I think what I'm having a bitch of a time saying is that this girl's not like anyone I've ever dated before. She's the kind of girl you wine and dine at fancy restaurants, sweep off her feet with expensive gifts and spend Friday nights cooped up on the couch watching foreign films with. I guess what I'm saying is… she's not the kind of girl for me."

"But you want to go out with her regardless, right?"

"Would I be looking for preppy clothes in your room if I didn't?"

Good. Now that he had him dodging away from the emotional slump he had edged towards and en route to the grouchiness, rudeness and arrogance that characterized his everyday disposition, Katsu might be able to fulfill his fraternal duties and help the poor fool out.

"Where are you taking her?"

"Some French bistro that will have me flat broke faster than the waiter can say 'daily special'."

"You're taking her to 'Le Corsaire'???" The artsy young man barked out in stupor.

"That's the one." The football player responded apathetically.

"You should have asked me for help sooner…"

Tired of being under the spotlight, the impish male decided to mix things up a bit.

"I figured you had enough on your plate, what with leading a double life and all…"

An icy stare and two sentences later, he came to regret his decision dearly:

"I _was_ going to let you off the hook after picking out a decent ensemble for you but, since you refuse to grow up, tough! Now you're stuck with telling me the whole story, so start yapping already!"

"What do you mean the whole story?!! I already told you what's going on! What the fuck more do you want from me?!!" Sano protested loudly, jumping off the bed, the pillow he had been hugging minutes before tumbling to the ground soundlessly.

"What I want? Hmm… let's see now…" Katsu taunted, tapping his chin with his index finger, simulating one who is in deep thought. "Truthfully, dear brother of mine, I have so many questions that perhaps you should just start from the beginning and fill me in on how you came about the first girl that you have ever deemed out of your league."

Looking down at his feet, Sanosuke glared meanly at the pillow he had unintentionally knocked off the bed and kicked it for good measure.

He knew how persistent Katsu could be – genetics didn't always play as strong a hand in the molding of young impressionable minds as did cohabitation – and he was aware that, even though he appeared to be trying to get back at him, the boy that he'd shared a bathroom with for thirteen years was only being supportive to the best of his abilities and throwing him a proverbial life buoy.

With a grumble here and a muffled curse there, Sano settled down on the bed and, after a few seconds of anticipatory silence, began weaving the intricate webbing of a modern fairytale, wherein princesses rode buses and the leading male wasn't quite the prince charming.

"We were on a bus – apparently, when her car's at the mechanic's she's not above public transportation. Someway, somehow, we ended up sitting side by side and, as soon as I noticed her, I couldn't help but realize that she was absolutely the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. So, I figured, why not tell her, right?"

"In other words, you thought she was one hot babe, leaned over and said _'Dang woman! You're some fine piece of ass!'_"

Sanosuke shot the man sitting beside him a dirty look and asked himself why he bothered at all: he was never given any credit or respect whatsoever, EVER!

"Who's tellin' the story, you or me?"

"Sorry."

"As I was saying, if she's a looker, why not compliment her, right?"

"Of course."

"Only… all I could think of to say were really lame and cheesy pick-up lines."

"Of course."

"…"

"You were saying?"

"How did I stand living with you all those years?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Fraternal repartee was a fun activity and whatnot, but if he wanted to be able to pick up his date on time, then Sano was better off ignoring the sarcastic remarks that would merrily and rudely introduce themselves into the synopsis of his personal _'Somewhere I have never_ _travelled__, gladly beyond'_ – or perhaps not so gladly – E. E. Cummings life experience.

"As I was saying… We sat there, shoulder to shoulder and I kept quiet, looking out the window, then back at her; one stop later, I virtually couldn't take my eyes off the damn woman."

"Ah yes… hormones."

"How would you know anything about testosterone if you only secrete female hormones?"

"How would you know anything about hormones period if you never even opened your biology textbook?"

"It's called the Discovery Channel!"

"I'm not quite sure if our parents gave you too much or too little Ritalin when we were kids…"

"I don't have ADD, I never had ADD, no one gave me Ritalin when I was a brat and do you _want_ me to finish telling you the story or not?!!"

"Please, continue."

"Then, _please_, don't fucking interrupt me!"

"Ever the crass one…"

"Put a sock in it!"

Clearing his throat as loudly as humanly possible, the storyteller resumed his tale, this time praying to the big guy in the sky that no interruptions made themselves heard: it wasn't as if he had enough time on his hands to beat the snot out of his older brother, choose something decent to wear, shower and shave, get dressed, style his hair with gel, pick up the girl his heart was set on AND arrive at the restaurant BEFORE the Maître D' esteemed their reservations to no longer be valid!

"The point is that there I was, freaking leering at the woman, and she was too engrossed in whatever the hell she was reading to even notice me, twirling a strand of her hair round her finger and looking all the darn prettier for it!"

"Are you telling me that you, an arrogant, pompous, chauvinist ass who scoffs at the word 'love' and shivers anytime the term 'commitment' is used in a sentence, have more than just the hots for her?"

"What did I say about interrupting me???"

"Sorry, you just caught me completely off guard!"

"Yeah, _she_ caught me off guard too, which is why, when I couldn't take it anymore, I told her that I knew my future was assured."

Katsu eyed his brother oddly, asking himself what he could have meant with that cryptic affirmation. Seemingly aware of the man's confusion, Sanosuke sighed and in a lower, less enthusiastic tone of voice continued his deposition.

"She looked at me funny too. I swear, I have no idea why I opened my mouth but… I don't know what came over me, but I had to tell her! Up until I'd gotten on that bus Katsu, I didn't know what the hell I was doing with my life or what I really wanted and suddenly, I was watching her read, just silently sit beside me and _read_ Katsu, and I… I felt so…warm."

New understanding dawned on Katsu as he realized how hard all of this must be for Sano. The guy had fallen for a stranger. The guy had fallen for someone without so much as exchanging pleasantries. The guy had fallen…and, for the mighty, it was always an excruciatingly painful fall.

"It was love at first sight then?"

"If by that you mean that I explained myself by telling her I had just met my future wife, then sure, it was."

It was the way that he said it, ever so calmly, with his hands knotted behind his head and a hint of a smile on his lips that proved definitively and indubitably that he knew his heart and the consequences of the aforementioned knowledge all too well.

"How did she take it?"

"She gaped."

"And you? What did you do?"

"I smirked and got off the bus: it was my stop."

Nonchalance? The man had done something outrageous, had acted clinically insane and here he was, picking his teeth with his pinkie and being nonchalant about the whole ordeal? It was enough to make one's head spin!

"Hold on! If you got off the bus without her name or number, then how did tonight come about?" Katsu muttered, struggling to come to grips with his brother's whacky narrative.

"Fate."

"Fate?"

"Fate. And maybe I did some research…"

"Research?"

"Stop quirking your damn eyebrow at me!" Sano complained angrily.

"What kind of research?" He continued, heedless of his sibling's flaring temper.

"I checked out the haunts a girl who reads thick books on buses could be at and, after a week, I lucked out, alright?" He explained impatiently, standing up with a curse when he spared his wristwatch a glance.

"Where did you find her?" The man wearing a beaded bandana on his head demanded, curiosity getting the best of him.

"The public library…" The jock grumbled out, reopening the closet's pine doors and absently peering in.

"You??? At the public library???" Katsu asked disbelievingly, slapping his thigh and chuckling gaily. "Fate really conspired against the poor woman!"

"Don't you mean against me?"

Katsuhiro was puzzled. Why was it a bad thing that he had – after seeking her out – finally found his 'future wife'? He should have been counting his blessings because, frankly. finding someone without so much as a name to go by was no picnic and next to impossible.

"Why would you say that? Weren't you glad to come about her again?"

"I didn't exactly feel like jumping for joy when she shot me down time after time…" Sanosuke pointed out sarcastically.

"Well, what did you do to finally get her to go out with you?"

"I wooed her." The broad-shouldered troublemaker stated simply.

"You wooed her?" The even-tempered male drawled suspiciously.

"I wooed her." He reiterated firmly, before adding with a sheepish grin: "And… maybe she agreed to go out on this one date with me if I promised to stop following her around?"

Gawking, gaping, whatever you would like to call it: if he didn't shut his mouth closed soon, Katsuhiro was going to catch flies.

"Have you no shame???" he managed to sputter out after a few seconds of stunned silence.

Turning away from the closet, Sanosuke Sagara grinned, his eyes twinkling mirthfully, his confidence restored, and answered the question the only way he knew how: bluntly and honestly.

"No."

**_

* * *

_**

**__**

**_OCTOBER 2004_**

****

Megumi's back was killing her, her head was throbbing and her ankles were swollen: Megumi's conscience was having a field trip driving her up the wall.

Megumi's telephone was a weapon of mass destruction entrusted to her by secret government agents, the armchair in front of the T.V set could do the lambada and her microwave was not only a practical electrical appliance that supplied her with warm noodle soup when she pulled all-nighters, it was also a time machine that would help her stop World War II from ever coming to pass: Megumi had tired herself out studying and had fallen asleep listening to one of Sano's more experimental Radiohead C.D.'s.

The doorbell rang a couple of times before the woman snoring into her chemistry book opened her eyes and yawned. Stretching her stiff limbs, Megumi stood up, took off her reading glasses and dazedly made her way for the door, releasing her hair from a white scrunchie's loose hold.

Blearily, she peered through the peephole and groaned before unlocking the door and holding it open.

"What are you doing here?"

Sanosuke stood in the hallway, a Styrofoam cup in one hand and a dog leash in the other.

"You feel asleep. You have a big test tomorrow. Here." He stated, taking in her mussed hair and wrinkled clothes before forking over the Styrofoam cup.

Was she still sleeping or was her boyfriend – the one she had had a fight with, hadn't talked to for days and actually missed – being a dear and bringing her coffee so she could stay up late and study for her Organic Chemistry exam?

"What's with the leash Sagara? Want me to take you out for a walk?" She quipped snidely, folding her arms over her chest.

"No, I just got tired of the handcuff set and thought we ought to try something new." He retorted tersely. "What does it look like I'm doing? We have a dog, don't we? And the stupid fleabag can't walk itself now, can it?"

If she had previously had her doubts, the haggard woman in lilac leopard print, ankle-length pajama pants and a white camisole was now absolutely certain that she was still dreaming, because not in this lifetime would the infuriating man she had been dating for over two years willingly take care of Max.

"Sanosuke, I know your pea-sized brain has trouble processing information, but we are currently on a break, remember?" Megumi voiced derogatively, flipping her long ebony locks over her shoulder.

So what if she felt the absence of him in every corner of her apartment and every empty inch of her queen-size bed? It was the principle of the matter that counted!

"Megumi, I know your pampered princess ass only hears itself speak, but I guarantee that I never agreed to such a thing."

"I wouldn't expect a boob like you to understand, but if you presume that name-calling and insults are going to get you back into my home and pants… well, it would be just like you to be wrong now, wouldn't it?"

Wordplay and a battle of the wits: that's what it always came down to. It was the modus operandi of their relationship. It was what had been different the last time they had argued, the last time he had tried to make her see what he wanted out of life.

That morning, she had meant every word, she hadn't been playing games and neither of them had ended the discussion on friendly terms. Truthfully, that morning had hurt like hell, perhaps more.

To find themselves, once again, ribbing and bantering was soundly relieving, but knowing that they could turn their backs on all they'd shared at the drop of a hat was frightening.

Sanosuke knew that he loved her; he'd known it as soon as he'd laid eyes on her. The problem was that, apparently, sometimes love wasn't enough.

On this night, a disastrous morning such as the one they had shared Friday could be put behind them and erased from the record, never to be brought up again. However, no one could very well say that there would not be a next time and, if another horrible episode akin to this very one did indeed arise, who was to predict that love would be enough the second time around?

Sano was confident that, just this once, it would do; something in her disposition – possibly the fact that she actually opened the door for him and that it hadn't been shut in his face as of yet – told him so and, for that, he was grateful. However, the future that had seemed to open up before him one warm morning inside a teal colored bus was but a mere shadow of the present.

He loved Megumi – she was his 'unintended intended', after all – but he did not think that he would be willing to become a shadow of himself on her account, though people did strange things for love, just as love did strange things to people: the fact that the pair was having it out in her apartment building's hallway, refraining from smiling and wrapping their arms around one another because of pride's supremacy and idiot stands that neither of them really knew why they need be made, was proof enough that love was a peculiar and mystifying feeling capable of manifesting itself in truly weird ways.

"There's two ways we can do this: you can step aside, let me in, drink some coffee before it gets cold, hand over the mutt and lock the door behind me, let me back in in fifteen minutes and get a complimentary foot rub or, I can carry you out of the way, force-feed the coffee down your throat, drag Max out of here, tear down the door fifteen minutes later and leave your feet unattended when I come back."

"You seriously expect me to-"

"You've got one more minute woman, and then it's over my shoulder and out of the way."

"If you knew me at all-"

"It's been three days, Meg…"

He looked tired and pained; she felt as bad as he looked. Had it only been three days? Why was she putting up a fight? Why did she want to be heaved over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes?

Her face fell. She was trying so hard to keep him at bay – he had never been the type of man she ought to get involved with – and yet her heart would have none of it. It had hurt to leave his apartment that morning. It had hurt to walk away from him but, what else could she do? What would _he_ have her do?

Sometimes, love wasn't enough and she wanted it to suffice. In order for that to happen, they both had to make certain concessions and Sano dropping out of college to pursue an impossible dream was not an option. Love was always enough for every single couple out there until they started running out of money, moved into a tiny one bedroom apartment and had to cut back on their budget constantly.

People didn't live on just love, air and poetry, and his decision didn't affect him exclusively; their entire future could very well be riding on that one choice. And that one choice… it could turn out to be one terrible mistake.

She should close the door. Ever since she'd met him, ever since he'd stalked her for weeks on end, she had known he would be trouble. She had agreed to one date to get him off her back and to convince herself that he was not worth her time; the second date did not have the desired effect and neither did the third.

She should close the door and spare herself future heartache and migraines, but what could she do? What would _she_ have herself do? She loved the exasperating oaf and, for the time being, she had to trust that that one truth could ensure her nights of peaceful sleep.

"No foot-rub: I have to study and that always makes me sleepy."

Stepping aside, Megumi looked him over gently and he, not one to waste such a formidable opportunity, rushed in, reveling in the feeling of familiarity and calm that being within the small, cozy apartment brought him.

"You're already sleepy and, as usual, your ankles are probably all swollen. When that dumb poodle is done with its business, you're getting a foot-rub." Sano stated stubbornly, though with underlying tenderness.

Megumi shrugged and walked towards the coffee table, gingerly sat down on the tangerine colored bean bag she had dragged out from her bedroom and slipped on her glasses. There was no point in fighting him when, come to think of it, she really needed that foot-rub; it served her right for insisting on wearing all sorts of uncomfortable shoes. Whoever said that beauty came at a high price wasn't kidding; Salvatore Ferragamo footwear was expensive and, sometimes, really tight!

A few sips of coffee later, Sanosuke reemerged from her bedroom, a howling, yipping and barking Max cradled in his arms.

"Other dogs _like_ going out for walks; our dog would be happy with a damn sandbox!" He complained, trying to put the leash on the ever-stirring pup's neck.

"You know," Megumi commented casually, keeping her eyes trained on the open book sitting across her lap, "that's the first time you refer to Max as _our_ dog."

Sano sighed and wondered if he would ever get a moment's rest. He was already having a hard time dealing with the bratty furball, he still hadn't really solved his problems with his girlfriend and she wanted to pick a fight so soon after they'd drawn a truce? Sometimes, he wished he had never set foot on that darned bus…

"I thought we'd decided to give op on a screaming match tonight." The wary man blurted out, giving the annoying dog his full attention.

"I'm not picking a fight, I just think it's nice that you're finally getting used to the idea that he's ours."

"And I'm glad that you still think there's an 'us'."

"Why wouldn't I think there's an 'us' anymore Sano?" She turned to look at him and asked, deliberately slow.

"Honestly?" He inquired, placing the now leashed dog on the ground.

"Honestly." She answered softly.

"Friday morning." He stated laconically, shoving his hands inside his jean pockets.

The sepulchral sound of silence invaded every corner of the small flat and threatened to swallow both occupants whole. The air was so thick and loaded with unpronounced thoughts that one could choke on it, feel it worm its way inside one's lungs and burn, piercing through sensitive tissue, scorching and scalding a bullet hole's path through vital arteries.

"Your brother called." Megumi mouthed almost inaudibly, breaking the stifling quiet whilst struggling against the tears in her dark, soulful eyes. "Thanksgiving is going to be at your parents' house this year, which means that we'll be spending Christmas at my parents' home."

Sanosuke allowed himself a small smile: it wasn't that important to talk things out, at least not at present. He knew that eventually they would have to confront this, that it was incredibly stupid of them to bury the hatchet when it would only come back to haunt them, but they needed to be with each other right now and an argument was not going to get in the way of their quality time, not after three awfully lonesome days. Besides, if she had considered making plans that involved the twosome for Thanksgiving, not to mention Christmas, then they weren't that bad off after all.

"Are you sure your parents won't mind?"

"I'm not sure… but they'll just have to deal with it, won't they?"

"It's your call. Did Katsu say anything else?"

"Actually yes: he's taking someone to Thanksgiving dinner."

"What's her name and how much is he paying her to fake it?"

"_His_ name is Kamatari."

"Took him long enough!"

"So you've said."

"You do realize that if you go with me you will witness a disaster in the making?"

"You do realize that if you go to my house everyone will treat our relationship like a disaster in progress?"

"I'll volunteer to go caroling with your brother; I'll loose him before we reach the second house."

"I'll say grace; I don't think your mom and dad will be feeling all that thankful come dinnertime."

"The Captain will throw a fit but mom… I think she's always known. You can say grace if you want to but I've got a hunch that mom will be feeling pretty thankful herself."

"I'm just trying to be helpful."

"Thanks sweetie."

"No pet names."

"No pet names, pet."

"Moron."

"Battle-ax."

"Rooster head."

"Vixen."

And that was the end of it. Megumi went back to reading her boring old textbook, Sanosuke went back to fussing over the presumably agoraphobic canine and the entire situation was all but forgotten, or rather, ignored.

Out on the street, urging Max along, the tall man wondered if he had enough money on him to go buy some Chinese food. Megumi was bound to get hungry – she always got a midnight attack of the munchies when she stayed up studying – and seeing as how he had a bottomless pit for a stomach, it sounded like a plan.

Turning his back on the poodle while it relieved itself by a bush – the housetrained animal also suffered from stage fright – Sanosuke retrieved his wallet and thumbed the thin wad of bills, considering himself lucky when he counted enough dinero to purchase yakissoba, egg rolls and, generally speaking, a three-course meal for four people. Okay, so the restaurant might have been pretty cheap, but it sold good quality food!

Stuffing his wallet back in its rightful place, a worn piece of paper slipped out of it and flittered to the ground. Tugging Max away from a cigarette bud he was busily sniffing, Sanosuke crouched down and picked it up, curious as to what it was.

Giving it the once-over, he immediately recognized it as the page he had ripped out from a book at the library when Megumi had agreed to go out with him a few years back. He hadn't had any paper handy and he needed something to write her address and number on; he had been so desperate and nervous, that he had done the first thing that came to mind to remedy the situation. Mind you, it wasn't necessarily brilliant or legal, but the book had been resting on the shelf on his right just a hand-snatch away and… was the fact that he was direly desperate already brought to light?

Fondly tracing her handwriting with his index finger, the young man simpered before putting the yellowed piece of paper back where it belonged and where he had always kept it. It was a memento of the first moment Megumi had ever given him the time of day and, though he would never admit to 'phony sentimentalism', it was something he treasured greatly.

Max whined and poked Sano's shoe with his cold snout. Sano looked down at his impossible pet and sighed; the damn mutt wanted to get back to the apartment already, he could tell. Apparently, Sanosuke wasn't the only one severely attached to an overbearing nag that could be the sweetest woman alive if she so wished, which was a rare occurrence. With thoughts of chop suey in mind, he trudged onwards, man's best-friend in tow.

Megumi Takani. Theirs had been a fortuitous encounter that had opened both a door and a window for him: he had found a person who complimented and challenged him like no other and he had learned that fate played a role of considerable proportions in any simple mortal's life.

The day she had finally relented and he had walked towards the bookshelf to his right in the library, he had had dozens of books, novels and plays at his disposal, all within reach, all capable of becoming the piece of paper that would close the distance between them, and yet…

__

_Somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond_

_Any experience, your eyes have their silence:_

_In your most frail gesture __are__ things which enclose __me__,_

_Or which I cannot touch because they __are__ too near_

_Your slightest __look__ will easily unclose __me___

_Though I have closed myself as fingers,_

_You open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens_

_(touching skillfully, mysteriously) her first rose_

_Or if your wish be to __close__me__, I and_

_My life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,_

_As when the heart of this flower imagines_

_The snow carefully everywhere descending;_

_Noting which we __are__ to perceive in this world equals_

_The power of your intense fragility: whose texture_

_Compels __me__ with the color of its countries,_

_Rendering death and forever with each breathing_

_(I do not know what it is about you that __closes___

_and opens; only something in __me__ understands_

_the__ voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)_

_Nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands._

_-E.E. CUMMINGS_

It was a nice poem. He wasn't a big fan of poetry and he didn't know much about it, but he liked that one, it was his favorite. He knew it by heart. No, he would never recite it to anyone – that was just corny and a different, less frowned upon approach to plagiarism – but he had read it so many times over the years that, eventually – feat of feats! – he had memorized it.

One summer day he had walked onto a bus and, unknowingly, begun a journey to a place he had never traveled before, full of emotions never before felt and experiences unlived.

Max growled menacingly – what do you know? For once, he was acting like an actual dog – and took to hunting down a mouse. Sanosuke, of course, got pulled into the fray and had to stop the irritating fleabag before it hurt itself and caught rabies or something.

See? Unlived experiences! For one, Sanosuke Sagara never dreamed that he would own a poodle, let alone have to keep him away from rodents…

* * *

"I will have you know that Norah Jones is an amazing artist."

Kenshin dug around his pant pockets for the car key, retrieved the item, inserted it in the keyhole, held the jeep's door open for Kaoru, and helped her clamber in. No one could ever say that he wasn't an efficient, well-mannered kind of guy.

Kaoru crossed her arms as soon as he shut the door and scowled at him through the windshield as he made his way round the Grand Vitara to the passenger seat.

"I didn't say that she wasn't any good, only that she's no Ella Fitzgerald." He explained as he strapped on his seatbelt and adjusted the rearview mirror.

"Ella Fitzgerald, jazz, bossa nova... you sound sixty." She commented, wrinkling her nose at him as he turned the ignition key.

"Sometimes Kaoru, you make me_ feel_ sixty."

"If you have a cigar and a flask of brandy hidden in your glove compartment and you know it, raise your hand!"

Kenshin shook his head and smiled ruefully; the teenage girl could be so infantile at times.

Checking the outside mirrors, the redhead backed out of their parking space and took to the main street.

Kaoru rolled down the car window and breathed in the warm night air. El Niño or La Niña – whichever meteorological phenomena – was really wreaking havoc on the weather; one minute the streets were as cold as midnight in Antarctica and the next it was summertime on a Caribbean cruise.

"So… how about this weather we've been having?"

Taking his eyes off the road for an instant, the architecture major gave the teenage girl an odd look. Sure, the weather had been screwy as of late, but wasn't that the kind of polite and terribly cliché question people made when they had nothing to say to one another?

"Kaoru, isn't that the kind of polite and terribly cliché question people make when they have nothing to say to one another?"

"It's also a legit conversation starter."

"On what planet?"

"The one I go to when you get to enjoying silence a little too much, apparently."

"This again?"

"No," She answered with a genuine smile. "I'm actually beginning to get used to that about you. It's still a bit confusing – that I'm enjoying it too, I mean – so I thought I'd try and work around it – the fact that I'm getting used to it part, I mean – but, come to think of it, it feels much more comfortable than going on and on about the weather, no matter how hot it is at the moment."

"You where enjoying the silence?" He questioned in surprise; Kaoru was such a talkative person that he hadn't really ever expected her to be comfortable sitting still and semi-mute.

It came to mind just how well and quickly they were adapting to one another, all bantering aside. When she was in one of her more inspired moods, he would play her game and come out of his shell far more than usual; when he got introspective and broody or simply tired, she piped down for a while giving him enough time to 'recharge his batteries' sort of speak, but never enough to dwell on depressive thoughts for long. It was a refreshing novelty, really.

"You know what they say: when in good company…"

Her smile was beautiful.

"How time flies."

"Hunh?"

Her puzzlement was sweet.

"When in good company, how time flies."

Her laughter was bewitching.

"Especially when you're over forty years old and counting Jazzman!"

"Now you'll never get that sax demonstration."

"But you promised!"

Her pouting was irresistible.

"I did, didn't I?"

"No backing out if it now mister!"

Her playfulness was charming.

"I don't think I'd want to." Kenshin voiced softly.

Kaoru blushed furiously, the possible double-meaning in his words making her heart soar to new heights. Just as she was about to tell him that she didn't think she'd want him to either though, something came about, a turning point of sorts if you will.

"What was that?!!" The teen squealed as the jeep bucked; hadn't it been for her safety belt, the indigo-eyed girl would have smacked her head against the roof of the vehicle. "Oh no, did we kill something? I hope it was a pothole!"

Okay, so maybe more of a _bouncing _point…

Turning around in her seat, she braced her arms over the headrest and squinted, hoping to pierce the darkness that thoroughly hindered her sight, and prayed to the heavens that she wouldn't make out the shape of a dead squirrel through the jeep's rear window.

"It was just a bump in the road, Kaoru." Kenshin intoned evenly; his mouth felt as cottony as if he had been on E.

"If you say so…" She acquiesced dubiously; he was all serious again, and over such a little thing too!

Kaoru fought the urge to cross her arms and humph at him before pointedly turning around in her seat, opting to marvel at the scenery instead of paying him any attention.

As for Kenshin….

_"__Oh__ no, did we kill something?"_

He tried to make it stop, but his mind didn't have an off switch and, thus, like a broken record that went on spinning, he kept on hearing her voice, drowning in her words and seeing the look of shock on her face.

A green sedan passed them by on the two-way street. The traffic light went red and Kenshin took his foot off the accelerator and gently hit the brakes; that's when he noticed, there was a pebble in his shoe.

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_Reviewer Responses:_

**To Shaeja Sedjet: **So you're into predatory guys, hunh? I'll take that into consideration… I took the advice of my HUGE fan – I couldn't believe it when I read it, I thought it was a typo or something – and wrote mesellf, actually ourselves, a longer chapter: hooray! The fact that it was so long in coming was _not_ so hooray, but my reasons were legitimate and my guilt – in spite of it all – is true too. Thank you for reviewing!

**To Rhapsody07:** I would just like to take a moment to thank you for your support. I quadruple heart you too for your patience and kindness.

**To dfourthhorseman:** First of all, thank you for reviewing. I understand that sometimes so much information can be too much information and that that can, at times, tone down the romance considerably; your sincerity on this point was very much appreciated and I will, of course, take it into consideration. Don't you just love constructive criticism? It has come to my attention that several reviewers, like you, have commented upon my "style" of writing; to be perfectly honest, I was not truly aware of the fact that I had a particular writing style but, your words as well as those of other fellow reviewers have made me realize that I actually do have a way of writing that, dare I say, is essentially very much my own. For that too I would like to say thank you, thank you and thank you. The peculiar thing about this story is that when I started writing it, except for the prologue, I didn't mean to make it humorous so, in a way, this fanfic has pretty much written itself. Apparently, I can be quite funny when I want to be… Who knew? Till next time.

**To missaw:** Ah, I see I have caught your attention with the weird Misao/Aoshi piece last chapter! Soon all will be revealed but, for a little while, humor me and revel in the suspense of not knowing and playing guessing games. As far as movies go, today I saw the new Woody Allen movie "Anything Else". If you like Allen, go see it if not, you can live without it since it's not his best work: like the title indicates, the movie is pretty much like anything else Allen without the extraordinary or extra funny. Also, seeing Jason Biggs act as Woody Allen – the stuttering, neurotic who goes to a shrink once a week and has a complex love life – is kind of odd. Thank you for reviewing and, as usual, I send lots of love your way! Bye!

**To VanyD: **To tell you the truth VanyD darling, everyone seemed confused by the Misao/Aoshi moment but you were the only one who seemed to truly enjoy it, even if – and to that I admit – it had a perplexing quality. Cancer is not the correct answer but… perhaps you are on the right track? Piece of advice: writing is not an easy task and they do tend to say that practice makes perfect. I have yet to reach perfection – I am not even remotely close – but trying is of the essence. Maybe you don't think your writing is as good as it should be; then work and try to make it better, improve yourself by continuing to write constantly and NEVER be ashamed of your writing: the only way you will ever progress is if you keep at it and put yourself out there. If you do not wish me to read your stories, I will refrain from doing so, but bear in mind that nothing is ever as bad as you think it is. I'm sorry… I know people handing out advice like freaking pamphlets in a crowded street is annoying, but I just don't want you to put yourself down, ever, okay? Sano's back: what did you think? Let me know, 'kay? Kissies and cookies!

**To quirkychick14: **Don't worry, at the moment I have no intentions of posting a lemon or anything like that – I have a feeling I wouldn't be very good at writing that kind of thing. However, in the remote case that I choose to do so, I will put up a warning at the very beginning of the page. The reason I upped the rating is because many author's accounts on this site have been cancelled due to what has considered mis-ratings. Since I don't want my stories to be erased, I figured it best to be safe rather than sorry and upped the ratings. Thanks for reviewing as well as for your concern.

**To PersonaJXT: **Thank you very much for adding me to your fave authors and fave stories list: it is always an honor when a reader makes that decision. Thank you for the good vibes and peace and love to you too babe. Bye!

**To De Lazy Lime: **I am well aware that you were looking forward to this chapter and, in all honesty, I hope I didn't disappoint you with the Sano/Meg focus that I decided to take. As far as expectations go, I know what you mean: the last thing I expected to see when I opened my mail today was a message informing me that my other RK story had been nominated for the "Romance/WAFF" category at the RKRC 2004 awards. Like Forrest Gump's mom used to say: "life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get". If I were to be totally sincere with myself, I would have to admit that, like you, I am looking forward to that defining K/K moment, to that kiss or something but, I am so glad that you understand why not even I can indulge myself. Their relationship, whatever it might currently be, is not without its complications and that prevents both from moving at a faster pace, something two regular individuals in this day and age would probably have no trouble with. Thank you for reviewing and here's to hoping that you liked this chapter.

**To Vic'chonn:** In your last review, Vic'chonn, you tried to reach ten points of attention but only managed eight; may I be so bold as to take the liberty of going from one through ten in this response to you, one of my dearest reviewers: 1) I finally updated and I finally have the chance to be able to 'talk' with you: this makes ME enormously happy. 2) I had never given my writing style much thought, especially since I didn't even conceive having a particular writing style at all. Thank you for bringing this to my attention for it means more to me than words can express. 3) This story, according to , is over one year old and yet, like I mentioned before, to me it is only starting to come together. I'm glad the amount of chapters in relation to the amount of K/K make out sessions – a.k.a zero – don't have you feeling frustrated. 4) Like everyone else, you too are intrigued by the Aoshi/Misao situation: I'm not saying a word just yet; you will have to read about it. 5) Tomoe and the paternity of the unborn child. You can rule out Kenshin – it would simply be geographically impossible – and Sano – he doesn't seem to like her much, does he? – and start hazarding guesses. Question: what is your opinion on the character Tomoe? 6) Sparkling moments: still frames that make all the difference. It is good to know that that portion of chapter 17 did not fall upon blind eyes. 7) You do not wish to die next week without reading this story to the bitter end and I do not wish to die without finishing it off either. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in my AN, I had surgery and that kept me away from computers for a while. 8) You are an amazing reviewer who always knows exactly what to say. 9) I find inspiration for my writing in people who, like you, take the time to seek everything's true worth. 10) Thank you for your support.

**To Misato-Katsuragi2: **As you can see, all about Misao and Aoshi was not revealed in this chapter, but the answers will be coming and it will all make sense… at least that's the plan. In this fic, Yahiko is mainly a character that serves no other purpose than to tie loose ends. However, he will play a role in the grand scheme of things, no matter how small it might prove to be. It pleases me that you liked my portrayal of him and, of course, how could I leave the "I'm not a kid!" act out??? Have no fear for Kaoru and Kenshin; theirs is a seriously messed up dynamic but all WILL come together in the end… it just depends on which end you are referring to…Personally, I'm not a big fan of Guns N'Roses, hence the little joke at the end of last chapter. However, I respect that you thin they're cool. Thanks for reviewing and see you next time!

**To Nigihayami Haruko: **You know, you are the only reader that brought the subject of Enishi up: it's nice to see that someone pays attention to those little details and that they even go as far as to appreciate my different uptake on matters such as this. In my opinion, everyone always depicts Enishi as a really bad, psychotic guy and I… I was just tired of the cliché. I'm happy that your views on the topic are parallel to my own. I love the way you described "love" in your last review! You completely understood what I was trying to get across and that has me jumping up and down and shouting for joy. The language of love oftentimes goes beyond words. Many thanks for the review and may you have been fully entertained by this chapter.

**To kean:** WOW! I TOOK YOUR BREATH AWAY! WOW! I love it when I get very sentimental and passionate reactions out of my readers: that's the whole purpose of writing, to evoke intense emotions, is it not? Don't worry, you think you weren't making much sense but I totally get your drift and I feel elated at the thought of being able to inspire feelings of happiness and all that lalala in you. I am truly sorry that I was unable to post sooner and gift you with this chapter for your birthday but, seeing as what is done is done, the only means I have to remedy this is to dedicate this chapter to you, as a belated birthday present. Forgiven? I hope so! Kisses and well wishes!

**To Kouu Sabishii:** Hmm… A teenybopper seeing Jessica Simpson? Scary analogy, but it gets the point across rather well! The father of Tomoe's child is still a mystery – though not to me – and as far as marriage goes… you'll see. Are you studying journalism because, man, you are just asking all the right questions! Too bad I can't really answer them right now, but when all is revealed, I hope you aren't disappointed. Thank you for reviewing, for reading, for the Jessica Simpson joke – those are always funny! – and tell me what you think of chapter 18, okay? Bye bye now.

**To Aryanne: **You are one of several people to comment on my peculiar writing style; I don't know what it is that you all see that is so different – though I am en route to finding out – but it certainly touches me that you feel this way about it. I have made Kaoru a 'teensy' bit eccentric, haven't I? hahaha. As for your suppositions regarding Aoshi and his mom… way off base, but I don't mind since I got quite a laugh out of it! My Kenshin – it feels so weird to say that – is truly a very intelligent man; he just isn't very wise, if you get my meaning. He is a someone who relies on his brain a great deal, but desperately pushes aside what his heart strives to tell him. In this story, my intentions are to make him find a balance. Jiro: you are the only person that read the last chapter to have brought him up. I was a bit nervous about introducing an OC to the plot, but the fact that you seemed to like him sets me at ease. Not a Guns N' Roses fan either, hunh? Seems to me like Aryanne-san digs good music! Thank you for reviewing – I love that you are one of my reviewers since I think your writing is absolutely genial – and hopefully I will hear from you soon!

**To EnjeruJoshin: **Feeling a wee bit frustrated honey? I know it's not easy to see two bumbling idiots act like the three blind mice when it comes to matters of the heart but, please understand, Kenshin is a very complicated person and he has past issues that he should probably try to work through with a psychoanalyst and Kaoru, she is just heavily inexperienced and young and confused by a madman's – and I mean that in the nicest way possible – antics. How could anyone ever expect them to progress at a decent pace? I can't ask that much of them, I just can't, no matter how badly I want to sometimes! Kenshin grow balls? You're reading the wrong fic darling! Hahahha. I'm not talking about Misao and Aoshi; all in due time. I guess, with me, you just have to have lots of patience. Thank you for considering me special enough to keep reviewing: I love you too. A-kon sounds like a really interesting event, even if I'm not the costume type. That little messenger bag you told me about… I am so jealous of you right now! A kiss on the hand for you and a whispered thank you too. Goodbye!

**To Ocean Fish:** As you can see, Kenshin is a jazz fan!!! I know that that will make you extremely happy! I'll get back to you in an e-mail soon, alright pookie? Stay safe! Bye!

Well, I'm worn out… ****************

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	19. Moments: Sparkles and Fizzes PART II

_STANDARD__ DISCLAIMERS APPLY: _Hunh, what a no-brainer…

**Quick little message from author: **Emotionally speaking, these past few weeks have been really odd. To tell you all the truth, I've felt pretty Kenshinesque, what with the brooding and pondering all levels of existence and stuff. In a way, I think that's the reason why this chapter is slow, doesn't flow quite as neatly, doesn't get in anyone's face or anything of the sort. That being said this chapter is more subdued and of a subtler tone than others I've posted before. The main theme is "hope" for some reason and I think it deals – in ways pertinent to the storyline and not necessarily my life – with how I have been coping with my… well… life, lately. The word "lie" had a recent impact in me – not that I was blatantly lied to or betrayed by anyone or anything like that – but… I don't know, doesn't it all sometimes seem like a big lie? The way you live, you are in regard to others and your views on the future? Maybe it's too much Kierkegaard, but I'm certain that I'm not the only one. Also, I know this sounds kind of random, but I made a mistake when I wrote the last chapter. I talked about the absolutely wonderful **e.e****. cummings** and I did not write his full name in lowcase, which is how he did; **Rhapsody07** brought that to my attention and I would like to thank her for it. Not to annoy you all any further, this is where I step down. Safe reading, everyone!

**Soundtrack: **Tricky DJ Muggs – 'Contradictive'; Yeah Yeah Yeahs – 'Maps'; Frou Frou – ' Only got one'; Billy Joel – 'Vienna'; Death Cab for Cutie – 'Transatlanticism'; Death Cab for Cutie – 'A lack of Color'; Alanis Morissette – 'That I would be good'; Alanis Morissette – 'Unsent'.

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**_This chapter is dedicated to Ri-nee-chan._**

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**Chapter 19: Moments: Sparkles and Fizzes PART II**

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**"Bump in the road, pebble in my shoe."**

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How is a monster born? In the cover of the night? Through a traumatizing, life changing event? Is a monster truly a figment of an overactive imagination? Could one actually exist?

Monsters are born in broad daylight, and though they seek to hide from no one, they blend in well. Monsters do not breed destruction and chaos; destruction and chaos merely delivers them into the thousands of maternity wards spread across the globe, just as pure and innocent-looking as the rest of the rosy-cheeked and pudgy-toed babies on display at the hospitals' observation rooms. It is a lifetime of wrong choices and misgivings that create a monster; one moment of exposure to the true colors of this world molds victims, not aggressors.

Criminals: they are the ones who see more, who hear more who know more; the real barbarians, though blind, refuse to shield their eyes. Actual monsters don't live under a mattress, hide behind a creepy closet door or take refuge in the dankness and shadows of a basement; they sleep beneath warm blankets, air out their closets when they deem it necessary and lock away all their secrets in the attic. True monsters are the ones that don't get caught.

The authentic brand of 'monster' doesn't go bump in the night, it says 'good morning' in the elevator and 'how do you do?' to the newsvendor.

How is a monster born? Amidst the bustle and hustle of the streets we circulate, of the schools we attend, of the cinema complexes wherein we seek entertainment. They hitch rides with us, borrow our notes and share their popcorn with us. Monsters are born without us knowing.

It is our belief that monsters are fire-breathing mythological creatures that inhabit fairytales and B-movies, never men that reside in our picturesque, postcard neighborhoods, just a fence away from our defenseless children playing tag with a pet golden retriever in the backyard. The advantageous nature of a monster's existence is, essentially, our own ignorance, their keen and unbeatable leverage.

Monsters collide with us and we remain unaware. Monsters converse with us and we nod our heads in understanding. Monsters… the truly depraved and despicable ones, those never get caught. Monsters… we have no clue as to what they are, we don't have a handle on their ways, we don't see through their lies; our ignorance lets them run wild, lets them run free and they, corruptors of innocence, they never get caught.

Seta Soujiro, like any upstanding citizen, made sure his green Sedan's right turn light was on before switching lanes. He smiled at the scenery, at the song playing on the radio and at the road ahead: despite any bumps and slight inconveniences, he could afford to smile, for he knew he would never get caught. You see, real monsters, they never get caught.

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In a twisted and resigned kind of way, I should have been happy. Come to think of it, 'happy' is too strong a word. Nevertheless, the perfect opportunity for me to finally pencil some details in and discover more about the considerably mysterious and handsome man sitting beside me was about to present itself and… well… that was a good thing… right? 

It _should _have been a good thing but, in my opinion, any girl who thinks meeting the ex is good, is insane.

Incidentally, all I knew about the woman thus far was that she was called Tomoe and she had _really_ bad timing. It wasn't much to go on, but enough of an abstract concept to represent a threat – fear of the unknown and whatnot.

The biggest question of all was: how did I get myself into this mess? The answer to that particular question was rather simple: I didn't. As luck would have it, someone else took the liberty of doing that for me, someone named Tomoe: anyone want to hazard a guess as to why a stranger had me biting my nails and chewing at my bottom lip?

"If mobile phones didn't exist": now, as I see it, that could be the title of a wonderful essay, perhaps even of a thesis. I guess, in the back of my mind, I will always wonder how the evening would have turned out if Kenshin's cellphone had been off. Would he have kissed me goodnight? Would he have asked me on a date the very next day? Would I have figured out that there was no possibility of reconciliation between them? Would our story have been any different? Would it have been any easier?

The truth is that I'll never know. I will always remember the ringer going off. I will always remember him asking me if we could stop by her house before dropping me off, if I didn't mind the detour, if I understood that it was somewhat of an emergency. I will always remember how I agreed to loosing what I viewed as my place in line with a phony smile on my face. I will always remember the doubtfulness in his staggering violet eyes. I will always remember the silence that followed.

I will never know what would have happened if Tomoe's call had gone unanswered, what kind of difference it could have made. All I know is that I will never forget when I saw her gracefully slip into the jeep's backseat and felt my own heart plummet into my stomach, any and all thoughts of lingering hope scattered to the four winds.

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A pair of long, slender legs was the first thing to come into view once the car door had been opened. The elegant, sea green, pinstriped flared skirt she wore rode up her thighs a bit as she positioned herself on the car seat, exposing more creamy flesh than she would have probably cared to. 

Everything about her was impeccable and flawless – not a strand of her lustrous hair out of place. When she stirred ever so slightly after closing the car door and proceeded to unbutton and remove the sage colored cardigan she wore over a sleeveless, fashionable, white beaded top, her movements where reminiscent to those of a prima ballerina executing a transfixing solo under the limelight: one couldn't help but keep one's eyes on her, on her shiny hair, on her glossy lips, on her willowy form.

Kaoru stared down at her lap and sighed; how could she ever compete with that? This woman was gorgeous and she wasn't wearing trainers and her hair wasn't a mess and her nails weren't butchered short and uneven and… the list of things she had and Kaoru lacked, upon a sideways glance of both females, could stretch on to eternity!

_"How come **I** get to be the 'plain' one?"_

The blue-eyed girl looked up at the sound of a car door slamming shut. He was back again, after stepping out and going round the vehicle to get the door for _her_. He was back and… was it her imagination or did he seem kind of… bitter? His hands griped the steering wheel so firmly and he revved the engine so – dare she say it – furiously, that she had to ask herself – to put it in more _Sanoesque_ terms – just what exactly had crawled up his butt?

"Aren't you going to introduce us, Kenshin?" a velvety voice inquired serenely from the backseat.

"Tomoe, this is Kaoru. Kaoru, this is Tomoe."

There was some handshaking, an exchange of pleasantries, girly etiquette that required someone to say "My, I love your bag!" and someone to answer "Why thank you, you may borrow it whenever you'd like." as soon as Kenshin had mechanically initiated the introduction sequence, before silence overcame the occupants of the Grand Vitara's leather interior.

"I am terribly sorry to have inconvenienced you; Kenshin didn't tell me he was on a date." Tomoe spoke up softly and earnestly, after a short while.

"It's okay." Kaoru replied, a small but genuine smile on her lips.

"We weren't on a date, Tomoe." Kenshin stated evenly.

Kaoru craned her head to the side and stared at the man with wide eyes. Okay, so they _hadn't _been on a date; did he really feel like he should explain himself to his ex-girlfriend, nonetheless? That hurt! That fucking physically _hurt_! Couldn't he see? Couldn't he see that she had developed a crush on him? What about that weird moment at the diner? Had she been the only one to feel tingly back there??? This was so maudlin, it wasn't even funny, and his attitude was sparking her anger. If she couldn't afford to feel sad and sorry for herself given the circumstances, then she could just go an ahead and get angry, frustrated and grouchy… that, or take to ignoring him for as long as the car ride lasted.

"That's right, we _weren't_ on a date."

If he could have recoiled in his seat without endangering all of their lives, Kenshin was sure that he would have. The mean stare that Kaoru sent his way when she confirmed what he had said before was powerful enough to make a grown man cry; it felt like a kick in the gonads or a shot to the head. Why was she giving him the evil-eye anyway? He hadn't done anything wrong… at least not that he could think of.

"Well, all the same, I am very grateful to you both."

"It was nothing; _Kenshin_ was just taking me home anyway."

"Oh, so you live near here then?"

Kaoru glimpsed through the window and took in all the humongous houses, high walls, iron gates and estates surrounding her and almost snorted aloud: she didn't think that even if her family won the lottery they could afford to live 'near there'!

"Not exactly. _Kenshin_ was worried about you and thought it best if we got to you first."

"My, did I sound that troubled over the phone?" the pale skinned woman asked, an apologetic look plastered across the beautiful planes of her face. "I'm sorry Kenshin, Kaoru: you need not have bothered. I suppose that a few more minutes of my father's ranting would not have killed me, though I am awfully glad to be free of his accusations… for the moment."

"I wonder what could have _possibly_ sent Mr. Yukishiro into a fit…" The scarlet-haired driver remarked sarcastically, perhaps a bit venomously.

Tomoe had certainly not been expecting that type of behavior from the usually dreadfully civil man. She knew that she had hurt his feelings, but he had taken the news rather well, all in all. So… what had changed in the lapse of a day? For, up until that very morning, he had been fairly acceptant of their respective positions within this new context.

"Tomoe… your house… it, umm… it seems really… big."

Tomoe looked on in astonished wonder as the teenage girl sitting in the passenger seat went out of her way to rid them all of the uncomfortable stillness that had pervaded the jeep's interior by sputtering out the first thing that came to mind. Cocking her head to the side, the classy woman glanced at her former boyfriend and was surprised to see the beginnings of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips: so _she_ was the reason behind Kenshin's aggravation! Or rather, Tomoe's intrusion on their alone-time was what had the architecture major all riled up…

"It _is_ spacious, which is why it tends to have too many empty rooms..."

"That's… nice..."

"Your house probably doesn't have any empty rooms, does it?"

"Well… we have a guest bedroom?"

Kaoru had already been weirded out by partaking on a conversation that made no sense and bordered on being labeled a psychotic exchange of disconnected words, but when Kenshin's ex began to chuckle softly, she was thrown for a loop. Granted that she had been the one to get the zany chat started, but still… the striking woman's ability to keep up with and surpass Kaoru's capability of cooking up madness when everyone seemed to be on edge was remarkable and, frankly, a little scary.

"You're a very sweet girl, Kaoru." Tomoe complimented once her faint chuckling bout had subsided. In her opinion, the petite girl accompanying them seemed lovely.

She might have been a tad young for Kenshin, but she had a way about her that was… refreshing. Her juvenile spirit contrasted finely with the tired, mature and dark disposition that was, unfortunately, his and, though puzzled by her own enigmatic words, the girl demonstrated no desire to bring the mood down by calling her on what could be considered batty comportment.

"How is Enishi?" Kenshin inquired.

He had taken one look at Kaoru's slight blush and decided to spare her from having to further deal with his ex-girlfriend's very peculiar self: if he kept quiet and let them be, then the mind game Olympics would commence shortly, and he didn't want the adolescent sitting beside him to be exposed to Tomoe's clever, subtle and all together puzzling conversational habits for more than was necessary; it just wouldn't be nice of him.

The soft-spoken beauty uncrossed her legs.

"Going through an awkward, rebellious teenage phase, actually. My parents aren't taking his bleached hair and tribal tattoos too well."

The jovial girl perked up in her seat.

"Who is Enishi?"

The unreadable male at the wheel kept his eyes on the road.

"Tomoe's younger brother. Who is he hanging out with now?"

Always so concerned for others was he that he rarely took the time to care for himself. She knew it too well, being the one to constantly, in her own less explicit manner, remind him of his importance when he could not think of himself in any other light than that of a monster. Oftentimes, Tomoe had to wonder, would he ever learn? Would he ever look at himself in the mirror and see all the amazing things that she had discovered in him once upon a time?

The years could go by, but he had yet to find a reason to open his eyes and take in the truth. He was bound to the past, to memories and moments that she could no longer dwell on. Would he ever awaken? Would something or someone ever manage to jolt him back into the real world?

"Do not be so paranoid Kenshin; there is, after all, a reason why he doesn't like you."

Once the words were out of her mouth she regretted them. She hadn't meant them that way, not the way she _knew_ he had held on to them and wore them round his neck like a tightened noose. Tomoe had only meant to say that her brother wasn't fond of her ex-boyfriend because of all the attention he showered the younger boy with, something that could be suffocating and annoying at times, especially for a teenager who did not need a second father-figure when he already had enough trouble dealing with his actual dad. However, she was perfectly aware as soon as his eyes gained that sad gleam, then hardened, that he had thought of _other_ less innocent reasons as to why Enishi could despise him. Would Kenshin ever wake up to the now or would he forever fitfully sleep his way through yesterday?

Kaoru was no genius, but she knew awkward silence when she found herself trapped in it. Currently, she was ensnared in silence's thick, viscous, nasty shroud and, for the life of her, she wanted out!

"Well… I guess I'm lucky I'm an only child then, hunh?" She spoke up, as cheerily as she could muster, stealing glimpses of the tense man driving her home. "That way, no bratty little brother of mine can have any say on my relationship with my boyfriend… were I to have one. Of course, nothing's perfect and I am willing to bet my prized CD collection that my father could be just as evil, given half the chance. No offense to your brother or anything, Tomoe!"

The way Tomoe saw it, Kaoru was an amusing girl. Truly lighthearted and, by the way Kenshin relaxed ever so slightly after her digression, a potent antidote to the poison that had been corrupting his insides for years. Maybe there was still time and a sliver of hope after all…

"None taken. So, you're an only child?"

"Fortunately and unfortunately, but it's a living."

"As is being the older sister."

"Say," Kaoru started out, a spark of mischief flashing in her sapphire eyes for the briefest of seconds, "since Enishi doesn't like Kenshin and he's a boy, did he ever get round to playing pranks on him?"

The way Kenshin's eyes bulged out of his sockets was hilarious, the look on his face utterly priceless! Kaoru was kneeling on the car seat, hugging the headrest to her chest, peering over at his ex-girlfriend, dying to get the scoop on the many times that young Enishi Yukishiro had pulled fast ones on him. Of all the things she could have asked and of all the ways she could have responded to the uncomfortable situation the three of them found themselves in, she had to aim for the unexpected, the humorous and, depending on the event that Tomoe chose to relay, the humiliating. Simply put: she was amazing... and confusing like hell.

As Tomoe narrated several instances wherein her younger brother had tripped Kenshin, set his jacket on fire and put a dead goldfish in his shoe – upon insistent request, for otherwise she would not have talked as much, given that it was not in her nature to be chatty –, she stared intently at the younger girl, reading every single one of her expressions, unable to contain a small sad smile or two as her laughter rang out through the jeep. The girl was just so very much alive!

After Pandora unleashed all kinds of evils and plagues upon the world by opening the lid of a box that was to remain sealed, everything was deemed lost. And then, a tiny voice called out until, at long last, it was released and hope, the one thing that could presume to repair some of the damage that had wreaked havoc all across the land, shone down upon the earth. Maybe Kenshin would be able to wake up after all; perhaps, all he needed was a bit of hope.

_"Why couldn't **I **be the one with the power to heal you and bring you hope?"_

* * *

To wait. It has been fairly commented by author upon author, journalists and tourists, how there seems to be an everlasting wait going on at the Malecón, in Cuba. The sweeping avenue, the wall that separates city from sea; it is reported to be the setting for many lingering thoughts, unmet expectations and disheartened sighs. There, lovers meet and lovers part: one quick glance at the endless sea of melancholy blue and frothy white serves as a visual reminder that nothing has changed in years, that all forms of waiting in a place such as that are in vain.

The time goes by, tick for tock, counting down the hours, the days and the years lived in a perpetual state of pending and waiting that is nothing short of sad. Sadder still is the fact that men and women from other parts of the world, who do not live in such dire circumstances, can identify with the main theme: the freedom that does not come, the invariable, mundane routine of a daily life whose predictability is steadfast and equable.

The tide rolls out and rolls in. The sun sets and rises, only to set again. The ocean sparkles, catching beams of sunlight on its fluctuating surface, then darkens, moonbeams giving the crests of waves a special sheen, the nightly stars seeming to drop from their heavenly posts and drown in a festival of sparkling lights. Tomorrow will only be the same as yesterday…

Leaning against the balcony's railing, Tsubame Kinjo looked down at the winding street and pondered her existence – that, and more specifically, her upcoming birthday party. Her mother had been going on and on all afternoon about how her aunt Tae had been so incredibly nice as to volunteer to help in the kitchen and how her cousin Yutarou had sent her a lovely present all the way from Germany.

Never mind that the infamous gift turned out to be a rag doll and that she, the birthday girl, was turning fourteen. Never mind that she had never asked for a birthday party in the first place and that she had no friends from school to invite, seeing as she was too shy to speak up in the classroom, let alone during recess. Never mind that her father would probably show up halfway through the celebration, stoned out of his mind and asking for more money to sustain his expensive heroin addiction. Never mind that she didn't have much of a life to begin with…

Before anyone dares jump to conclusions – people tend to do that a lot, this she knew too well – the thirteen-year-old was NOT getting ready to commit suicide or anything of the sort; she was simply thinking on the crappy hand fate had dealt her in the only place in the whole of the tiny apartment where she could get some semblance of privacy and tranquility.

She knew her life sucked – on more levels than one – but she had never really given any thought to taking her life.

That was the beauty about the eternal patience act that both she, in her own way, and the people strolling by or sitting at the Malecón maintained: giving up was never an option. Sure, things mightn't change and sure, it wasn't a pleasant feeling knowing that what little control you could have over the life you lead is, technically, out of your hands, but… someday, somehow, if one could but hold on long enough, resist in even small, unnoticeable ways like sitting around and pondering one's existence without fully giving up, then maybe, just maybe…

To wait.

_"Here's to hoping everything's not lost!"_

__

With a fresh smile on her face, the short, gaunt brunette slipped back inside the apartment, biding her time for the day that her luck would change.

* * *

Certain moments of our lives cut like a knife and, sometimes, the best we can hope for, as a means of distancing ourselves from the ever painful truth, is a lie. Reality, in the end, is nothing more than what we make it: we choose the things and the people that will constitute our own realities, as well as the person we would like to be or feel we should be integrated to that fictitious environment that we, by conviction alone, baptize as our authenticity of life; the American, Chinese, Ethiopian, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, black, white, boy, girl, individualistic, collective, pop, rock, this or other way of affirming ourselves in a space that we share and mark as personal territory. 

Having options doesn't automatically give way to making the right choices; our constructs of reality hold more mistakes, flaws and imperfections than we can count. The bottom line, though, is that it need not matter which choice is made as long as a decision is undertaken because, if we remain hesitant, what each of us knows as our reality destabilizes, the lack of squiggles and chalk drawings on clean slates holding each and everyone of us up to the light in blank, unfulfilled, passionless, unmotivated glory. Basically, if we don't connect the dots, we are nothing; we have to make ourselves, possibility of wrong choice or no.

It's never easy for, life as we come to know it, is dreadfully frightening. That which scares us is that which cuts and takes much too much time to heal. Sidestepping panic turns into a lie, a negation, the denial that appears to be somewhat of a saving grace. Our lives define themselves by the lies we will true. Therefore, a lie is Truth and the truth is a Lie.

Pulling up in front of Kaoru's house, Kenshin took a glimpse at his other passenger in the rearview mirror. No doubt she was beautiful and smart and no doubt that he had loved every minute that she had been his. Tomoe caught him staring at her through the rearview mirror and hinted with her chin towards the younger girl busily chatting away. Getting her meaning, the violet-eyed man shook his head and chuckled inaudibly; Tomoe and Kaoru were as different as night and day.

"…and we ended up emptying a whole bag of flour over Kaz's head. In retrospect, I don't really understand why he still hangs out with us…"

Mulling over the information she had just imparted and the patience that she had never given Kaz credit for, Kaoru looked off to the side, only to become aware of the fact that they were parked in front of her home.

"Well, this is me!" She announced cheerily though, on the inside, cheerful was a far cry from what she was feeling.

"Let me get the door for you." He said and, before she could protest, he was out of the jeep and jogging round the automobile.

"It was nice to meet you Tomoe." She voiced out politely.

"Likewise."

As soon as her door was flung open, Kaoru exited the vehicle; a rush of warm air greeted her outside, on the empty street and, for some reason, she felt as if she were a tapering form in the wind. It had happened to her several times before in her lifetime, the sensation of fading into the landscape, unable to tell her own self apart from the freshly cut lawn, the tree leaves stirring in the balmy breeze or the black rubber tires that rolled over hot pavement. This feeling generally came over her when she was mentally running away from something and trying desperately to cling onto anything else; after closing her eyes for a few seconds and becoming a vanishing silhouette beneath the dark, cloudless sky, she was ready for it all, for the lies that were to be her reality.

Turning her head to the side, she looked over at Kenshin, who still held the door open, and smiled tenderly at him. He really was a good guy… he just wasn't meant to be _her _good guy, was he? It was sad to come to such a realization, but she was a smart girl and she knew when she was way in over her head. So it came down to this… a goodbye was in order.

"Thank you, Kenshin."

She had seemed so far away seconds before and she felt so far out of reach now, even when she was looking him straight in the eye. He didn't like it. She always felt so accessible, available, so open and easy to contact that when she withdrew ever so slightly it seemed almost fake, almost unlike the girl he was coming to know. He didn't like it. He needed her closer.

"I'll walk you to the gate."

There was no room for argument. It was a new side of him: he could be stubborn, but rarely did he impose, demand, or take the reigns of a situation. He was an interesting man, a mystery that any curious being would be attracted to, just for the sheer pleasure of solving it and putting the pieces together, if nothing else. Since Kaoru was too tired and disheartened to put her foot down and fight him, she simply shrugged and allowed him to lead the way.

The car door slammed shut, their feet shuffled against the ground and all too soon, they were back where they had started from. Oh, the irony…

"Well, thanks again, for helping me study."

Kenshin's loafer-clad feet scuffled a bit while Kaoru's white trainers remained firmly rooted to the ground.

"There's no need to thank me; I volunteered, remember?"

Kaoru's shoes squeaked as she inched closer to the gate, a piece of old gum gluing itself to one of the soles.

"Goodbye, Kenshin."

There was a tiny click and then the gate creaked open. A pair of white trainers moved back, remained stock still in place for a second, then quickly sprung forward and stood on tiptoe before unmoving brown loafers. Withdrawing swiftly, they dragged themselves to the gate while low-step leather footwear remained planted on the sidewalk, motionless.

Slowly and almost hesitantly, Kenshin's hand, of its own accord, pressed itself against his cheek, where her lips had gently and lightly made contact with his flesh.

"It's goodnight." He whispered softly, his eyes hooded and his trembling fingers laggardly moving away from the spot where she had seared him with a fleeting kiss.

Kaoru, thinking she had heard some type of murmur, spun around. "Sorry?" She asked, not daring to hope, not daring to dream, not daring to breathe.

"It's goodnight, not goodbye."

His voice was clear like crystal and as sharp as a pointy pencil. This time, she heard him properly only, she still couldn't be sure whether she was dreaming or not.

"Goodnight, goodbye: it's all the same, wouldn't you agree?"

She had stepped away from the gate now, and it creaked and moaned as the wind did with it as it pleased.

"Would you really have me agree?"

He was giving her a choice. He could be quite thickheaded sometimes, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what her intentions had been with that little scene that… that had made him see how… how much closer he needed her...

He wasn't thinking straight and, even in his own mind, he was stuttering; he should just walk back to his jeep and forget everything. He should keep on lying to himself as he had proceeded to do since the very day he'd met her. In fact, there was a really long list of things he _should_ do and others that he very well knew he _couldn't_.

All the same, it became impossible for him to hold back the sigh that escaped him as the silence continued to stretch thickly and tautly between them, a string of fate strung too tight.

"The engine's still running." Kaoru murmured meekly, looking at him in the shoe.

"Kaoru…" Kenshin uttered, seeking out to make eye contact, unsuccessfully.

"Tomoe's still in the car." She breathed out, almost laboriously.

"Kaoru." He stated in a slightly harsher tone.

"My parent's are going to freak!" She mentioned with a tilting laugh, her hands suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.

"Kaoru!"

He snapped at her and that startled her out of her little world of madness; Kenshin wasn't one to snap. Kaoru lifted her head and met his gaze head on, exactly as he had wanted her to do all along; he discovered that unhappiness was unbecoming of her.

"Goodbye Kenshin."

And that was the end of it: the girl was crushed for some reason and, just like that, she was spinning on her heel and giving up on a beautiful friendship?

_"Because that's all it could ever be, a beautiful **friend**ship."_

Well, he would have none of it! They were good together, hanging out with her was nice and all that harmless teasing felt ten times better than lonely brooding! She had always proved herself impossibly obstinate and he refused to allow her to succumb to any other type of behavior. They could be friends. They had to be friends. He needed them to be friends…

"Good_night_, Kaoru."

Her entire frame stiffened before her body broke off into little panicky waves of uncontrolled tremors: what was he saying, exactly???

Before she could even get her body to rotate and face the destabilizing concept of his dogged utterance, Kenshin was walking back to his means of transportation, shaking off thoughts unbidden and hopes that he had no right to. He had sealed his fate years back on a night quite unlike this one and there was no taking it back now, no time machine to save the day.

Silently slipping back into the vehicle parked right in front of the house with the quaint little gate and red rose arch trellis, Kenshin did the only thing he could: he took a deep breath, told himself a sound bunch of well-conceived lies, placed his foot on the gas pedal and drove away.

* * *

What does it mean when taillights flashing in the distance seem blurry and unfocused? 

The two of them, they were long gone, and yet, she still lingered, for some unbeknownst reason. It felt as if this was how everything had started off, questions and doubts distracting her and making her emotions range up and down the Richter scale of sentimental, earth shattering instances.

The man was trouble. The man was taken – in a sense. The man… he had not wanted to say goodbye. The velvet rope he flung her way and the flicker of hope he lit up inside her, all of those things were not good, not healthy, not what she needed in the least. And yet, those things were there, inside her, craving to be acknowledged. She wished she could turn a deaf ear on everything that had transpired but… she had pretty much already _heard_ what he had said and, as much as she would appreciate it, the feelings aroused would not be denied.

True to her self, she readily admitted – mentally, anyway – that the situation was operatic at best, borderline cheesy and stupid at worst. Nevertheless, those considerations were of no relevance when it was plain as day that the truth was as it was and could not be changed, in spite of the self-deprecation.

"Damn Pandora!"

Landing a punch in insubstantial air, Kaoru ambled for the gate, swung it open and stepped through the archway. As it slammed shut, the nearby lamppost flickered on and off, emitted a few orangey sparks and fizzed out. It was night.

* * *

"She seems like a very nice girl." 

"She is a nice girl."

The soft humming of the automobile's engine. The whooshing of the breeze against the windshield. The sound of a conversation put on hold.

"I don't expect you to be okay with these circumstances."

"None of this was expected."

"We wouldn't have been happy."

"That's what I keep telling myself."

The radio playing low. The telltale ticking of a wristwatch. The hushed up voices of two minds coming to terms with reality.

"I'm happy now, Kenshin."

"It's all I ever wanted for you."

"It is all I want for you as well."

A chuckle. A pained chuckle. Laughter tinged with regret and sadness.

"And then there's the irony…"

"And then there is reality. Kenshin… we would have never made it together. There's too much emotional baggage in the way."

"There's always too much in the way, isn't there?"

A sigh. A heartfelt sigh. The noisy exhalation of someone who has been there one too many times.

"You can't keep blaming yourself."

"We both know-"

"Yes, we _both know_: stop clinging to the past Kenshin, you will loose your sanity if you keep this up."

"I can't just erase it all Tomoe! I can't just-"

"Try."

"Tomoe…"

"Please try. For me, for yourself, for that nice girl we just dropped off: try."

A pregnant pause. A pregnant ex-girlfriend and a moody ex-boyfriend together in a confined space: they really couldn't act more civilized toward each other if they tried so… a pregnant pause indeed!

"She's too nice of a girl Tomoe." He stated, his voice cracking slightly as he stared straight ahead.

"I like her smile."

"People like us-"

He tried to make his opinion known, but she didn't want to hear another one of his self-directed lectures; she simply wanted to make him see what was missing in his life.

"People like us deserve second chances, Kenshin, and, when God smiles down on you, it's okay to smile back."

After that, nothing else needed to be said or _could_ be said, for that matter. Life was the way it was and people were the way they were and that was the bottom line. She couldn't change him, he couldn't change her, they couldn't trade in their past or their separate futures for a handful of magical beans and it was the end of something very special that no longer was.

One generally expects closure to be a dramatic and tense moment that twists things around and restores order within the chaos that was once generated. Closure is meant to make one see things in a different light, the cracks on a broken and poorly mended vase finally coming to evidence; at least that's how books and Hollywood define the end of an important chapter in a person's life.

Tomoe Yukishiro was still attractive, elegant, intelligent, graceful and distinguished.

Kenshin Himura was still introspective, serious, dedicated, clever and gallant.

Whichever flaws the perfect picture held, they had both been aware of since day one.

The definitive end of their relationship was not marked by sudden enlightenment or an abundance of superfluous words vocalized during a heated argument or an impassioned speech. It had little to do with airports, abandonment and career choices.

"I don't know if I remember how." He spoke quietly and at length.

Closure, for the both of them, came in the form of a mutual understanding: when silence was comfortable enough to ease into again, that's when the former couple knew that there was no going back, no way to save a shipwreck or resuscitate what was long ago dead.

"It will come back to you." Tomoe said, thinking back on a bright and charismatic girl with long, jet black hair. "These things, they have a way of working themselves out."

Patting her belly, the ever-composed woman leaned back in her seat, a wan smile on her thin lips.

It was all over, and yet… it had only just begun. They had always been so busy prodding each other and comforting and consoling and acting as if love were a yoke, that they forgot… love can be a thousand different things for every single person, but it is never meant to be a burden.

At a time, they had loved as best as they knew. Now, they could dig deeper and cultivate something they had overlooked in their frantic quest for one another's acceptance: friendship.

The sparks that had once flown between them had fizzled away and the rose tinted lenses cracked; however, something remained. And that something that they had ignored and disregarded when they were far too busy coming up with ways to cement a shared belief erected upon a foundation of lies and nearsightedness was ten times more precious than they would ever be aware of.

Friendship was their just reward.

* * *

_Reviewer Responses:_

**To Rhapsosy07: **Thank you very much for pointing out that dreadful error that I made typing e.e.cummings' name last chapter: it was really stupid of me and a mistake that, as a journalism student, I can't afford to make. If only my teachers could see me now… hehehe. Anyhow, Laura e. C – which by the way I think is totally cool because I also find Mr. cummings to be incredibly inspiring – until the next time I update, thank you for always being around.

**To Nigihayami Haruko: **You know, I wholeheartedly agree with you; Sano just wasn't given proper exposure during the anime. The manga was a bit different, but there still lies so much untapped potential there… I still see gaping holes in my coverage of that character – bigger still with Aoshi who has, so far, barely made an appearance, though I won't go into that – but I still have so much ground to cover with this story that I figure by the time I'm done, the final product in that respect could very well be decent enough. A confession that I have to make is that, when I got into fan fiction, my favorite couple, at one point, was Sano and Megumi; it just sounded more accessibly complex than K/K: Kenshin killed people, for crying out loud, that's a HUGE obstacle to overcome! Sano and Megumi's main obstacle is each others' tempers and views on life, rendering their messed-up relationship slightly more contemporary, if nothing else. Thanks for wishing me luck on writing this chapter – believe me, right now, I need all the luck I can get! – and here's to hoping you liked this chapter too!

**To Nekotsuki: **I think this story is pretty quirky too! Unfortunately, this chapter didn't have many comedic elements, though I'd like to think that it had its moments. Anyway, thanks for reviewing and adding this fic to your faves' list. Bye!

**To Ri-nee-chan: **So you're the little angel that nominated my story? Let me just bow really low and give you an enormous thank you. The fact that you said my fic had 'niveau' was, well, marvelous actually; it's just one of those words that sound so 'classy', d'you know what I mean? In light of the circumstances, and since I don't really know of any other way to repay you or thank you for the vote of confidence, this chapter is dedicated to you, my Ri-nee-chan. Again, gracias, merci, obrigada, danke, arigato and well… thanks!

**To De Lazy Lime: **It is true: Megumi Sano an equation that will always go wrong. I am grateful to you for proving patient with me and condoning my slowpoke ways: that's the way to a writer's heart if I've ever heard of one! Hahaha. I know that this chapter wasn't K/K's "moment", but I think – correct me if I'm wrong, though – that it was a good melancholic preamble to it. As for your comments on the characters that specifically trouble you: thank you very much for addressing that issue because, frankly, it's the kind of feedback I need to help me mold relatively likeable characters – though some aren't meant to be liked. Aoshi's case is special since I still haven't formally introduced him to the plot. So far, everyone has simple mentioned him and then, on one occasion, he was seen and interpreted through someone else's eyes. I've done this because it seemed like a fitting way to insert him into any story; he's quiet, unresponsive, serious and leader of the Oniwabanshu: I see him slinking into anywhere, completely unnoticed until the bomb goes off and, somehow, he's at the center of it all. Misao: she is not my favorite character at the moment, either. I have made her superficial and, truth be told, annoying. I know that is not great – especially if you like the character – but it serves the purpose of the way I intend to write her out. Misao is, at the time, in a slot that has not advanced since the first chapter but, rest assured that in due time, this will change. All I can say, not to give her or myself away, is that there's more than meets the eye there and that she still has a LOT of growing up to do. If there are any other character's you want to comment on, any other bone you would care to pick, don't hesitate, it's what I'm here for, alright? Thanks loads and toodles!

**To Aryanne: **I was actually concerned as to how to fit Katsu in and, truth be told, my concerns did indeed mirror yours. Basically, I was down between either making Sano a bisexual and Katsu his ex, or taking the route I finally opted for. The first option simply complicated things all the more so, I decided to play it safe and add a brotherly figure into the mix without giving me a headache: lazy writers, hunh? You say Karou is not off-the-wall clinically insane, whereas I… I have my doubts and reservations. Hahaha. Don't worry about sounding like a film critic: your review was pleasant and nice; if you're still nice about reviewing then you're still far, far from being anywhere near film critic standards and, doesn't that just make you feel happy inside? Hahaha. So, yeah, your glad Kenshin' s not into Guns n' Roses… you and me both darling, you and me both. Good luck with the writing and until soon, hopefully.

**To missaw: **Woody Allen is a famous film director; you should check out some of his movies. Rent 'Mighty Aphrodite' if you can: it's pretty good. I'm glad you liked my take on Sano and Megumi's relationship and as for Misao and Aoshi… sorry about keeping you on hold yet again but, it's coming, I promise. As for movies – somehow we always end up talking about those – have you seen "The Terminal" with Tom Hanks? It's pretty funny so, if you have nothing better to do, some free time on your hands and you haven't seen it yet, go to your local theater and relax a bit. Good day my dear missaw! Thanks for sticking by me!

**To Kean: **No, thank you. Trust me. I hope you had a nice birthday. How many candles on the cake?

**To VanyD:** Well Dr. Iram, psychologist, writer and procrastinator extraordinaire, is back in business! And, apparently she hasn't been doing a good job lately. I do intend to read your stories but I have tests coming up so, gonna have to wait until those pass on, if you know what I mean. Sano always spreads joy upon his returns; isn't he grand? Hahaha. Actually I am feeling much better now, thanks for asking. In a few days it will have been two months since I had surgery and I am feeling tip-top and dandy and ready to take the world on! Well… less upbeat than that but, 'good' is a nice synoptic way of putting things. Getting confused is natural: sometimes _I _give myself the rurouni swirly-eyed look by rereading my writing! Till next time and thank you very much for your consistency in reviewing!

**To Shaeya Sedjet:** Thank you for the flower and chocolate bouquets: those were both scrumptious and smelled lovely. As far as calling me 'mum' goes, I don't know how comfortable I feel with anyone calling me that yet – blame it on intimacy issues and whatnot. Hahahaha. Thank you for reviewing and liking the story.

**To ****me**Megumi being bitchy… that's an understatement, hunh? Thanks for the review!

**To Vic'chonn: **True love… maybe someday it will happen for me – so far, I've only been on the unrequited end of the rope, if you get my drift… I'm a talkative person amongst friends but I know how to be quiet too and enjoy the silence when it comes to that. Tomoe, Tomoe, Tomoe: how she doth complicate my life! She is very hard to write, did you know? She can be so stiff, so overly polite and diplomatic that anything I write with a little heart in it makes it sound as if I'm faking it, I'm making her less real or something. I'm okay with how she came off in this chapter, not 'happy' but for now, it will do. In this fic, she's not really the bad guy, though she is kind of a physical manifestation of Kenshin's demons at times, something I think you might have picked up on if attentive enough. Curiously enough, I didn't really make her out to be selfish but, I guess, in a way what she did IS selfish. Sometimes the characters that we ourselves write, surprise us like that, hunh? Thank you very much for asking me how I'm feeling after the surgery! Actually, I am much better and recovering marvelously well. Sometimes the scars itch, but hey, it's the price you pay! Bye now!

**To Misato-Katsuragi2: **If you think that there have been many twists and turns in this story so far, then Lord will you be confused and befuddled with what's in store! The squirrel: no animals were harmed during the production of this fic so, don't worry, it really was only a bump in the road and not roadkill. As to why Kenshin was all upset and broody over it… I can't tell you yet but, I'm sure that you can come up with a few ideas as to why all on your own. Thanks and see you later!

**To Dea Mariella:** Mousey on over to the next chappie, why don't you! I'll be awaiting you in the upcoming chapter reviews!

**To Ocean Fish:** I e-mailed! So, now I'm tapping my foot and impatiently awaiting for your reply! Jazz fan indeed, though personally, I don't know that much about the genre so, if ever I need some information on the subject, you're my Deep Throat! Don't get upset over an occasional review response that is short, it's just that I get so many reviews that, by the end of this thing, I'm kind of worn out and tired. Don't get me wrong, I love responding them individually and getting as many as possible, but it takes time and, with tests and stuff, time is not something that I have much of. You're still my pookie, you will always be my pookie, but sometimes I will write more and sometimes, unfortunately enough, I will only manage to write less. Right now, I have so much homework that it's killing me and the fact that teachers have suddenly realized the joys of having e-mail accounts is not helping in the least. As far as music goes, I like Ella and Armstrong, well there is no other like him is there, but my forté, knowledge wise, is rock. Heard of any good rock bands lately? I recommend Death Cab for Cutie: check them out because their sound is pretty good. Well, this is me and I'm signing out now, okay? I hope this chapter was to your liking! Kisses and adieu ma chère!

Well, I'm beat. Another one bites the dust and, apparently, it's me. Up, up and away!!!

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	20. Persona

_STANDARD__ DISCLAIMERS APPLY: _I could claim to own Rurouni Kenshin but, then again, I'm not that far gone just yet…

**Quick little message from author: **This chapter has, like so many others, gone right on ahead and foiled my plans. I had every intention of sticking to the little script I had written out before getting down and dirty typing up this chapter, only to find that I really have no control whatsoever over the story or its characters! I started it off as I had planned but, as this installment evolved, it sort of took on a life of its own and dialogues that weren't on the rough draft suddenly found themselves at the very heart of chapter 20, the initial title even getting completely discarded after only 5 pages. Writing is madness people, there's simply no other way to put it. All this being said, here's the latest chapter of **180º Spins, ****Twists**** and Turns**.

**Soundtrack: **Well, **De Lazy Lime** wanted specifics on the music front and, who am I to deny my wonderful reviewers anything?

Therefore, the lowdown: the music for this installment – in general terms – has a basic theme, which is a sort of bell chiming sound, and every part of this chapter is separated from the other by a grayish line. Every part was inspired by one or more songs, as listed here:

_Part 1: _**Song:** "A walk in the park" **Album:** "Great Expectations – The Score"; **Song: **"Estella's Theme" **Album: **"Great Expectations – The Score". _Part 2:_ **Song: **"La Redécouverte" **Composer:** "Yann Tiersen" **Album: **"Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain soundtrack" ; **Song :** "Maddening Shroud" **Artist: **"Frou Frou" **Album: **"Details". _Part 3 :_ **Song:** "Pas Si Simple" **Composer: **"Yann Tiersen" **Album: **"Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain soundtrack". _Part 4: _**Song:** "At home" **Composer: **"Jan A. P. Kaczmarek" **Album: **"Unfaithful Soundtrack". _Part 5:_ **Song: **"Tiny Vessels" **Artist: **"Death Cab for Cutie" **Album: **"Transatlanticism" -- _(Stop at guitar __solo__Part 6:_ **Song: **"Innocent (Piano Acoustic)" **Artist: **"Fuel" **Album: ?** . _Part 7: _**Song: **"Dancing in the moonlight" **Artist: **"Toploader" **Album: **"Onka's Big Moka". ****____

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* * *

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**Chapter 20: Persona**

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* * *

_

_In latin, **'persona'** means **'actor's mask'**_.

* * *

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**__**

**_Act I_**

**__**

**_Scene One:_******_Early morning. A garden area. A man in green overalls is bent over a flowerbed, __clipping__ weeds. Enter **Ms. Writer**._

**_Ms. Writer: _**_Excuse __me__are__ you some sort of gardener?_

**_Man in overalls: _**_I sure am, miss!_

**_-- Stands up and removes gardening gloves. --_**

****

**_Man in overalls: _**_Herb Gardiner's the name. What can I do you for?_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_I would just like to know how these beautiful flowers __are__ called._

**_-- Walks over to a nearby bush and points. --_****__**

****

**_Ms. Writer: _**_I've never seen flowers __quite__ like these before. ****_

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_Those__ right there __are__ gardenias ma'am; your garden is full of them._

**_Ms. Writer: _**_Is that so? I would not know… I've not been outside my house for a very long __time_

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_It would explain why I've never seen you around these parts. Then again, you __are__ one of them writing folk, __are__ you not?_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_Up__ until today, I was indeed a writer._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_Did you quit?_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_That's right… I suppose I did._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_I beg your pardon miss but, if you've quit, what do you suppose you will do now?_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_I… I'm not really sure, Mr. Gardiner._

**_-- Wringing hands behind back. --_****__**

****

**_Ms. Writer: _**_This is a very recent development, after all._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_Gardening is my life, it's all I know._

****

**_-- Opening arms wide and gesturing towards the whole of the garden. --_**

****

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_I could never see myself giving any of this up. I could never imagine abandoning this here garden; why, what would happen to them gardenias if I suddenly took __off__? Leaving this place would be mighty irresponsible of __me__, that's for sure!_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_At the very least you take care of something; I didn't have anyone or anything to leave behind, save for some blank sheets of paper and a dusty typewriter. I won't be missed now that I am gone._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_What about them people that read your writing, won't they miss your words?_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_I… I've only ever written for myself._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_I must say miss, your kind is __quite__ strange. _

**_-- Walks over to Ms. Writer and joins her by the gardenia bush. --_**

****

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_I work here day in and day out. Because the grass needs __me__, as do the trees and the flowerbeds. Because I need them too. I could never be selfish with these plants; were I to be selfish, the gardenias would surely die. If they died, I would keep on __living__ but, gardening is my life and I would have nothing to tend to. And what – I ask you –, is a gardener without a garden to tend to, miss?_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_You mean that… you live only because you keep them alive?_

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_Them darling blossoms miss, they make __me__look__ forward to every rising day._

**_Ms. Writer: _**_Every rising day… Does it not get boring, though, Mr. Gardiner? Having the same responsibilities to __look__ forward to every day? Don't all days come to seem the same, on occasion?_

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_Why, of course not! No sunrise is ever the same, just like no flower or leaf __are__ alike. Every little thing is somehow different come tomorrow; every day is brand new!_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_That's strange… Back inside the house, every day seemed the same. I must say, sometimes it got incredibly boring and, when that happened, not even my muse dared __show__ its __face__; I take it that my muse got tired of life indoors as well…_

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_Is that why you quit?_

**_Ms. Writer:_**_ In a sense. You see, Mr. Gardiner, I was so very bored and so very tired… I just wanted to come on outside and find out what it was like, what gardenias were like._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_Then the __rumors__are__ true and writing folk rarely go __outdoors_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_I am afraid that it is for the best: writers must learn to live within themselves, isolated from the __real__ world during the creative process. It is a golden rule that should not be violated; otherwise… terrible things could come to pass._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_What kind of terrible things?_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_Well… if __real__ life is ever to interfere with the __time__ spent working on the writer's ultimate creation, it could all blow out of proportion and have the author put the story… on hold._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_But if the writer puts the story on hold, then he…_

**_Ms. Writer:_**_ …stops writing._

**_Mr. Gardiner:_**_ But… but…_

**_-- Turning away from Ms. Writer, shaking in fright. --_**

****

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_What - what does that mean? A writer can't stop writing, not unless he 'aint a writer no more! _

**_Ms. Writer: _**_It truly is a terrible thing._

**_-- Placing a hand on Mr. Gardiner's shoulder. --_****__**

****

**_Ms. Writer: _**_Oftentimes, the writer vanishes into thin air for days, for weeks, even months.__ Sometimes, forever…_

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_Forever?_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_Forever. I myself vanished once for three whole weeks._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_That's awful!!!_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_Indeed. Tell __me__are__ there any perils to being a gardener?_

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_Nothing __quite__ as __grave__, miss. The grieving process can be a heavy burden to handle, though._

**_Ms. Writer: _**_The grieving process?_

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_But of course! You see miss, flowers and plants die every single day, just as others grow: it is the __natural__ order of things. This means that, though my job is to keep this garden in full bloom, a part of its survival is beyond my control. There __are__ days when accepting that it __comes__ with the territory is easy, but, other __times__…other __times__ it saddens __me__ like nothing else. I get particularly __sentimental__ when one of them gardenias wilts away._

**_Ms. Writer:_**_ You must love them greatly…_

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_As__ they do __me__, miss, as they do __me__. However, it is an unspoken love, you see, and so, when they finally go, one by one, so very much is left unsaid. My heart, it breaks every single __time__ one of them delicate white petals takes its secret to the __grave__; the worst type of love, in my eyes, is the one that is never made known. Love can be felt deeply, but when unvoiced… I cry for each one miss, for each special and unique flower that harbors a secret that remains untold._

**_Ms. Writer: _**_If I were to pick one, would it sadden you? If it does, then I'll not think of doing it anymore but, I must confess, today is the day that I have seen a gardenia bush for the very first __time__ and…I am curious._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_It is your garden miss._

**_Ms. Writer: _**_But you tend to it!_

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_The gardenias… they always die and their love… their love dies with them. Pick one miss. Hold it __close__ to your heart and hear it whisper its secrets to you, feel it proclaim itself yours. Feel how the tall grass tickles your feet, how this entire garden moves with you, how it grows to love you, how it buds and winds strong vines around your heart. I shan't be sad._

**_Ms. Writer: _**_Is this how you feel everyday, working in this place?_

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_This place is my life; it has a hold on __me__, it makes __me__ who I am and I, I am a gardener._

**_-- Picks gardenia from bush and deposits it in Ms. Writer's hand. --_**

****

**_Mr. Gardiner:_**_ Your first gardenia; if you no longer know your place then let it __lead__ you._

**_Ms. Writer: _**_It is so soft and fragile._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_Love is a delicate thing, miss._

**_Ms. Writer: _**_Thank you for this, Mr. Gardiner._

**_Mr. Gardiner: _**_Hold it __close__ now! Unspoken love is brittle and I have a garden-full of it to tend to! _

* * *

"Question."

"Shoot."

"The importance of a gardenia lies in…?"

"In the fact that it's a symbolic representation of unspoken love."

"…"

"…"

"Gotcha."

"Good!"

Sitting on the edge of the school theater's empty stage, Misao hunched over her copy of the neatly typed out first pages of the school's senior year original theater production, while the author of the play in question switched between eyeing her intensely and fidgeting with the thick and dusty burgundy grand drape.

"The garden… it represents Miss Writer." Kaoru explained, both jumpily and loosely.

"I get that, it's just…" Misao scratched her head and tried to figure out a polite way to phrase her question before giving up and deciding to be plain blunt, "…are you going anywhere with this?"

Kaoru faltered and nervously clawed at the old curtain: was her secret out? Did her best friend figure out that she had no clue whatsoever as to what she was doing, that, basically, she was winging it?

"I…I prefer working with…well, what one could call, if so inclined, a…uh…a loose plot." She elucidated, tripping over her own tongue as she vainly attempted to cover her tracks.

Crossing her legs and tugging at her braided hair none too gently, the future star of the play – if there ever was to be one – hung her head low and sighed.

"In other words…"

"I'm pulling it out of my ass."

Giving the amateur playwright a measuring look, the peridot-eyed female gave herself a moment or two to gather her thoughts before patting the space beside her in an inviting manner and speaking up. "You may not be sure what you're doing Kamiya, but me likes!"

"Really?" the authoress questioned doubtfully, wearily plunking down next to her partner in crime.

Kaoru had been so concerned over the stupid play as of late that, between thoughts of a rotten theater piece and recent developments with the perplexing – as in break-out-the-Panadol – Kenshin Himura, she was deadly sure that the premature worry lines were coming on! At this rate, her forehead would not make it unwrinkled by the end of the month…

Misao rose and began to pace the stage, counting off on her fingers what she thought gave merit to the piece: "It's fresh, it's soulful, there's a love story – there _is _a love story, right?"

"Sure, why not?" Kaoru agreed, throwing in a shrug for the heck of it.

"In conclusion," the wannabe thespian proclaimed, halting her long strides and speech, staring off to the vacant audience before making eye contact with her friend and resuming her laudatory spiel, "what's not to like?"

"Oh, I don't know: the lack of a plot _could_ pose a problem, but that's just my opinion." the less extroverted of the two intoned sarcastically. "All I know is that, if Mr. Martin doesn't dig, I'm washing my hands clean of this mess."

"Oh, he'll dig; if he doesn't, it'll be 'Romeo and Juliet' this year…again."

Misao couldn't help the sourness that overcame her features at the thought of impersonating a role that had already been done to death: where was the professionalism or broadening of horizons in that?

"You guys could always perform 'King Lear' or go all out on anything Broadway!"

"Kaoru, listen carefully: first off, Broadway requires dancing, none of us are Pavlova or Joaquín Cortés and Mr. Martin isn't Fosse. Second: if it's not an original story, then the PTA insists it be a tale of star crossed lovers – props and costumes are already available."

"Cheap bastards."

"It's _Parent_ Teacher Association: do not bite the hand that feeds you."

Glaring at Misao, the blue-eyed high school senior lunged for the other's hand and tugged her down to sit on the floor, alongside her.

"My parents haven't attended a PTA meeting since I was eight; allow me to go right on ahead and bite the hand that feeds the rest of you instead." She grouched.

"The point is you're writing the play and I… I should have more lines, don't you agree?" The schoolgirl wearing a canary yellow, spaghetti strap tank top suggested, scanning the would-be manuscript's initial pages all over again.

"You're the lead! What more could you possibly want?" Kaoru cried out in honest to God irritation: this whole writing-a-play 'thing' was grating on her already fragile nerves and, truth be told, her darling, whiny chum wasn't helping much at the moment.

"Worldwide recognition, stardom, a million dollars: you know, the basics!" Misao listed off boldly, somehow managing to look meek as she picked at her ankle-length olive green skirt.

"More like the works!" her companion corrected, poking her shoulder playfully. "You're such a diva."

"And I don't even have my own dressing room yet!"

Shaking her head at the girl's antics, Kaoru's mind wandered back to the matter at hand and, inwardly, she cringed: sometimes, she was keenly aware of the fact that God, whoever he, she or it was, didn't hold her in particularly high esteem.

"So… meeting the whole of the drama club is a good idea, right?" she ventured asking for the umpteenth time in less than half an hour.

"According to Mr. Martin, it's supposed to help you get a grip on the type of characters you can create based off of the kind of actors your creative genius will have at its disposal." Professor Martin's favorite student recited in a rehearsed manner, all the while swatting a loose thread off of Kaoru's raspberry colored cargo pants.

"In other words…"

"…Time to bury the muse."

"Is it that bad?"

Stretching her arms, Misao stood up and shrugged indifferently. "I'll let you be the judge of that." She then inched over to her backpack and rummaged around for something. "What is taking everybody so long? All I want is for this little meet to be over!"

Kaoru's head whipped around. "Hey, that's my line!"

"What can I say? I have stuff to do."

"Misao, you live and breathe stage magic; it's your greatest passion next to the dispassionate Aoshi Shinomori: are you feeling well?"

_Oh__, just feeling like I'm stuck to the bottom of my shoe, Kaoru."_

"Tip-top and dandy!" Misao announced, flashing her standard grin over her shoulder.

Sometimes, she surprised herself when it came to her so easily, being so fake, behaving so phony. She had been born with the talent of deceit, something she had been told since she was a small child able to get away with anything so long as she made use of a well placed smile, giggle or wail. Yes, she was remarkably talented…

"You sure?" Kaoru insisted, incredulity written all over her face.

_"Of course I'm sure that I feel like something you scrape __off__ the bottom of your shoe, Kaoru."_

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Really, she had no reasons to be feeling unwell – except for maybe the fact that she wasn't meant for keeping secrets and, right now, she felt like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She couldn't tell a soul – or rather wouldn't dare – and it was killing her to hide the truth from the one person she had always trusted. Aside from that, she had every cause to be her lovely, chirpy old self…

"Did you not hear yourself just now?" Kaoru insisted, wondering what kind of a stupid question 'why wouldn't I be?' was, in light of the circumstances and all. For heaven's sake, they had both been the best of friends since they were children; did Misao really think she wouldn't notice if something was up? Just who did she think she was talking to?

"What?"

The question was uttered so guilelessly that our girl was tempted to outright drop the subject and leave the future drama major be. As things stand, though, to be tempted does not mean to bite the apple, but to merely stare at it prettily for a few dazzled seconds as it dangles before one's face; once control is regained an apple – no matter how red or provoking – is just that… an apple.

"You claimed to be too busy for the scenic arts, that's 'what'!"

"It's just a stupid school play anyway."

"The last time I checked, we were two separate, very different people; why are you acting like me all of a sudden?"

On any other day, Misao would have been more than happy to be victimized by Kaoru's caring nature. Today of all days, however, she was having a hell of a time bearing with the cross-examination and poorly covered-up apprehensive looks that she was being submitted to. Getting Kaoru off her back, at the very moment, was essential but, how to go about it? The power of denial, no matter how strong, just wasn't cutting it. That only left her with one piece of as of yet unused weaponry in her arsenal: admittance… laced with a stretch of the truth, of course.

"I give up!" The scheming girl bellowed, flailing her arms wildly in the air above her head as she slumped down to the ground. "I admit it: I am not okay!"

Having a certain healthy fear of Misao's histrionically bizarre blow-ups was, in Kaoru's mind, the best defense, by far surpassing the benefits of a good offense. "Okay then…"

"Actually, no, it's not okay!" Misao cried out shrilly, twisting the candy wrapper in her hand round and round.

She was unable to stop herself. She was all for the lying that was to come, but her brain seemed to think that a desperate cry of relief before smothering everything down and bottling her emotions up again was in order. If only she could tell Kaoru about Aoshi…

Popping the cherry candy she had previously unwrapped into her mouth, Misao bought herself the precious seconds she needed to recompose herself, put on her game face and complain about some random, ridiculous and insignificant melodrama that would get her friend off her case.

"I had that horrible nightmare again!"

"Nightmare? What nightmare?" Kaoru asked suspiciously.

"You know!"

"No, Misao, I _don't_ know."

"Yes you do! You know, THE nightmare! The one where I win an Academy Ward and walk up stage to receive it with no clothes on and plenty of cellulite for show and Billy Crystal yells 'look out, we have a streaker!'"

All things considered, that did sound like quite the nightmare – especially the part where a famous comedian made a very un-clever remark! Heaving a loud sigh, Kaoru easily bought the strange story; after all, only Misao could turn a bad dream into a Greek tragedy.

"Is that all?"

"What do you mean, is _that_ all? I work out every day and, trust me, I do NOT have that much cellulite!"

"Misao… grow up!"

The teenage drama queen had to hand it to herself: she was GOOD!

_"And scene!"_

* * *

****

**_TSS – TSS –TSS –TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS_**

****

****

Trudging towards her house's front porch, Misao discovered that the sprinklers on her front lawn were busily squirting potent jets of water onto the grass. Sidestepping a puddle, she lopsidedly plodded onward, inadvertently stepping over a yellow daisy.

**_TSS – TSS –TSS –TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS_**

The smell of moist earth was in the air and not a cloud marred the flawlessly blue sky. The sturdy wooden fence that separated her garden from the neighbors' stood firm and unmoving, even as a sudden gust of wind attacked the nearby almond trees at full blast.

**_TSS – TSS –TSS –TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS_**

****

Nimbly, Misao's fingers undid her plait, her body shivering slightly in the cool breeze. Due to the small tremor that shook her frame, the ponytail holder within her grasp slid through her fingers, just as her hair came fully loose.

****

****

**_TSS – TSS –TSS –TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS_**

****

****

Bending down with a muffled curse, the teenager fumbled around for the green elastic, nearly invisible to the naked eye because of the equally green tall grass into which it fell. Moving around and feeling patches of prickly blades for the missing object with her bare hands, Misao blew her long, blue-streaked bangs out of her face.

**_TSS – TSS –TSS –TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS_**

Still scouring the area, she cocked her head to the side, something shiny catching her eye: at long last, the search was over. Picking up the ponytail holder, she stood upright… and sighed: right within her line of sight was none other than Aoshi Shinomori, hose in hand, watering his mother's beautiful front yard.

**_TSS – TSS –TSS –TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS_**

Probably sensing that he was being watched, the young man looked off, beyond the rose bush and beyond the wooden fence, his eyes landing on the lovesick girl. Smiling brightly, she waved in his direction, her long dark locks swaying to and fro with the motion.

**_TSS – TSS –TSS –TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS_**

Still waving, Misao sadly witnessed as he looked away and continued doing his chore, not once smiling at her or waving back. Allowing herself to sag almost imperceptibly, she let her hand fall limply to her side before regaining both her bearings and footing and marching on.

**_TSS – TSS –TSS –TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS_**

Taking a deep breath, the disheartened girl inserted her key into her house's front door and let herself in. Outside, Aoshi watched from the corner of his eye as she headed inside, the brown door swinging shut behind her.

****

**_TSS – TSS –TSS –TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS TSS – TSS – TSS – TSS_**

Another gust of wind flittered by, a few water droplets from the sprinklers going off course and raining down over the yellow daisy Misao's sandal had trampled. Aoshi wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. The day was hot, the sun shining almost a little too brightly in the perfectly blue sky.

* * *

He came bearing gifts; it was a birthday party, after all. Nevertheless, it didn't take a special occasion for him to visit with a gift-wrapped box neatly tucked in the crook of his arm. No, he was a generous man, after all.

It had been a while since he had last stopped by, but his prolonged absence and unexpected reappearance didn't seem to bother anyone – not that it ever did: the expensive presents that accompanied his eventual social calls more than made up for his mysteriousness, she supposed.

He was always given the red carpet treatment when he swung by the apartment, even as sporadic as his stopovers were. Then again, he was loved by the whole of the family and treated as if he were truly one of their own.

Once he stepped through the threshold, several pairs of arms wrestled their way over to him and embraced him tightly, nearly making him loose his balance. Various sets of hands took turns ruffling his hair and pinching his cheeks. Baritones and sopranos alike bade him welcome in a more than dissonant choir of excited and enthusiastic greetings.

As a silent spectator, sitting on the sidelines and watching the typical sequence of events play out before her, Tsubame could not help but feel nauseous.

Maybe it was the money, the commodities, his easygoing way and undeniable charm or maybe they really were all that blind; nonetheless, she couldn't bring herself to understand her mother, or her aunt, or the rest of her family.

To Tsubame, it was plain as day – it always had been: as soon as his pearly whites came into view, trouble was there to stay.

* * *

Writhing beneath him, like so, she was lovely. The sight of her dark locks cascading over her pale face and tangling themselves with the bed sheets was breathtaking.

And yet, it didn't mean anything.

Her long maroon nails raked his back, her plump lips trailing openmouthed kisses down his neck, her heel pressing painfully against his upper thigh: it all felt exhilarating.

And yet, it didn't mean anything.

His fingertips skimmed across her flat stomach and his teeth nibbled her earlobe teasingly: he felt compelled to bring her pleasure.

And yet, it didn't mean anything.

Moving together on the cheap motel room's bed, their bodies slick with sweat, they sated a powerful hunger and a mutual need. And yet, to him, it didn't mean anything.

It could never mean a thing, even if she was the perfect woman for him, even if she was utterly devoted to him and his cause, even if she was gorgeous. It was impossible for it to mean something, no matter how alluring, how submissive or how very much in love with him she was.

To him, beauty meant nothing.

To him, base human instincts meant nothing.

To him, love meant nothing.

And so, he could love her, he could desire her and he could allow her to remain by his side, but none of it would ever be able to mean anything at all.

She didn't mean a thing to him – it would be a weakness on his part for the situation to mean otherwise and the weak, they never survived long, did they? He was anything but weak.

After she had fallen asleep, he lay awake in the blackness that engulfed everything, lazily chain smoking a cigarette, the sun's fading rays filtering through the blinds. If he believed in nothing and cared for no one, then some other purpose surely should drive him on, right?

He smiled, a sinister smile: of course that certain things held meaning for him. He wasn't _entirely_ soulless, after all.

Power meant something.

Money meant quite a bit.

Revenge meant everything.

Leaning over the beautiful woman's resting form, he reached for the ashtray on the night table and crushed his cigarette out.

Revenge. What a sweet word.

Now that one of his best men was back in town, all the pieces had finally fallen into place, hadn't they?

Ah yes, revenge would finally be his! This called for another cigarette… and, in the morning, a phone call to Soujiro.

* * *

Something called to her, beckoning her to run away and, if she wasn't completely mistaken, she believed that 'thing' to be the rusty fire escape located outside the building, a few feet away from where she stood staring off at the balcony through the large window's smudged glass.

Picture this: you're turning fourteen, you're at home with your family and zero friends plus an unwelcome guest – at least you, the birthday girl, aren't too fond of having him around – and the birthday cake is covered in layers upon layers of chocolate fudge – never mind that you are allergic to chocolate –, not to mention that your mother had the brilliant idea of forcefully planting a cheesy party hat over your head; sounds like a situation anyone with minimal brain functioning would be dying to get out of, correct?

That being said, it should come as no surprise that Tsubame Kinjo, a hostage in her own home – ironically enough at a celebration devised specifically for her – wanted out, wanted liberating freedom, wanted to be away from the phony actors' masks dancing around her every which way she turned.

Once again, being timid and passively compliant to all forms of authority were not traits that were doing her any good or helping her out in the least: if she had a bit more of a daring side, she could have thrown a tantrum, complained about how no one was paying her any attention, revealed that this idiotic family gathering was something she had never wanted, told everyone that she had had it and stormed out the front door.

Tsubame was a daydreamer. She was the kind of girl who, chewing her pen cap and staring blankly at the blackboard, conjured riveting stories out of thin air, tales wherein she was a different, braver person who stood up to the mean girls at school who gossiped about her. At home, her attitude was no different: once her mother began telling her about her day, about her minimum wage salary, about the paycheck that was not in the mail, Tsubame's wandering mind would take off, would lead her to other more pleasant places like Barbados or some other Caribbean island, where all she had to worry about was lounging at a paradise-like beach and choosing between getting Coppertone or Banana Boat tanning oil rubbed on her back.

In spite of it all, there were some perks to being quiet, shy and, basically, a wallflower: if she left, no one would even know she was gone and, when she was around, people didn't really notice her, which lead to her listening in on oftentimes interesting conversations.

Like everything in life, sometimes her nature itself was counterproductive; other times though, it… evened out the odds, sort of speak…

"What do you know about Mr. Makoto?"

"How long have you been back in town?"

"I arrived yesterday night."

"Took you long enough!"

"Yes, I'm afraid so! Keeping up appearances requires time and, unfortunately, my hands have been relatively tied, as of late."

"They were watching you too?"

"Well, they would be fools not to, now wouldn't they? True, they were foolish enough to let down their guard, but, by all means, everyone deserves a little credit."

"You're a strange man, did you know that?"

"No stranger than you or anyone else here, I imagine."

"You do your job very well, Seta."

"Oh, I do not believe that you are familiar with my work; if that were the case, you wouldn't be here right now, would you?"

"Mr. Makoto will be very pleased with your arrival."

"And I will be quite pleased to see him again. Now, where is the birthday girl's father?"

"He hasn't showed yet."

"It will please me immensely to see him again as well."

"You and me both."

There was hushed up talk of that Makoto person again: she had know that the man of the hour's arrival wasn't to be taken lightly, that it was as ill an omen as only a flock of vultures gliding in circles above a deserted area could be.

Well, she had heard just about enough; the fire escape had her name written all over it and, quite frankly, she wasn't willing to stick around and obligingly play the part of one who had not overheard the most foreboding news she could have possibly received in weeks.

Personally, she had no clue as to who "Mr. Makoto" was, but their bizarre next door neighbor and Mr. Smiley discretely talking up a storm about him in a secluded corner of the room was pretty shady. What a horrible afternoon.

As quietly and hurriedly as possible, Tsubame slid the window open and slunk onto the tiny balcony, fresh air instantly filling her lungs, quite a change from the secondhand smoke she had been forced to inhale for the past couple of hours. Freedom was hers, if only for the rest of the evening.

* * *

Flowers in hand, rehearsed greeting in front of the mirror on the tip of his tongue and all semblance of composure asunder, he was ready for his big moment. One tanned finger wiggled in the air twitchingly, without direction, then aimed for the buzzer. This was it! It was time! The pad of his finger was ever so close to the round white button! One more inch and…

"Yahiko?"

… he screamed like a girl.

"Yahiko?"

"Tsu… Tsubame?"

How was it that his pretty, freckly coworker was standing right there, startling him with her sudden appearance, when she was supposed to be at her own birthday party on the building's fifth floor?

"I'm sorry Yahiko, did I scare you?" She questioned timidly, folding her small hands before her chest in a silently pleading gesture.

"No… No! Of course you didn't Tsu!" He responded quickly, a hand sheepishly going to the back of his neck and a rosy blush spreading involuntarily over his face. How could he deny that kind of body language? Never mind that she had gone on ahead and scared him out of his wits! "It's just… I thought… I was going to ring…"

"I'm sorry Yahiko, I know we were going to spend some time upstairs with my family before going to the movies but… I couldn't be there anymore."

She tried to hide it, she really did, but he could always see right through her. Contrarily to what people might believe about her, he knew she wasn't a happy person, neither was she as shy as she let on, not if properly and patiently urged out of her shell.

The way Yahiko saw it, her introversion had more to do with her avoiding her life and her shortcomings and less to do with actual full-blown timidity. In fact, he had come to see Tsubame's reactions to life situations as Pavlovian; she had conditioned herself to handle curve balls as mousily as possible, even when he was quite inclined to presume that the sweet girl standing before him was not entirely as self-conscious as she thought herself to be.

Unfortunately, despite his keen inner observations, Yahiko Mioujin was but a fourteen-year old boy attracted to a kindhearted brunette with doe-like eyes; his hormones pretty much always tended to get in the way of any words of wisdom that he, at times, felt like sharing with her. Getting on her good side was far more important than mending any holes in her broken soul, after all.

"I brought you flowers."

Once the bouquet of daffodils in his hand came to her attention, Tsubame's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

Now, this he could do! Entertain her for a while, keep her happy for the rest of the afternoon, make her laugh at a few choice dumb jokes; all of these things were within his power. Granted he wasn't the most confident of people around girls, but with Tsubame, he didn't have to be.

"Thank you, Yahiko." She spoke in a somewhat coy manner, her hands gripping the cellophane wrapped around the trumpet-like flowers rather tightly, a soft smile forming on her lips.

That soft smile washed over him like only a spring shower could, making everything in the world suddenly seem brand new.

With Tsubame, simple flowers became something else, something more meaningful. With Tsubame, a simple boy like himself became so much more. And the few friends he had wondered why he kept going after her instead of making a complete ass of himself in front of the pep squad!

"No one has ever given me flowers before." She pressed on, her glassy brown eyes shimmering brightly in the afternoon's dying light.

A bus rolled by, the deafening noise it made delaying Yahiko's reply.

What none of them realized was that an unhappy girl like Tsubame could breathe life into a room, that the wallflowers were what made the centerpieces stand out. What none of them seemed to understand was that her common and meaningless story was the gentle undertone of an enthralling plotline.

"They say there's a first time for everything…"

If all life's a stage, then leading actors aren't enough to make it exciting or worth paying for one's seat; in the long run, stage hands are equally important, if not more so.

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_Reviewer Responses:_

**To De Lazy Lime: **First of all, I have to say, your last review was one hell of a review!!! It lifted my spirits like you wouldn't believe and it made me even more aware of just exactly how fortunate I am to have reviewers such as yourself around. And so, I continue lethargically bringing these two beings ever closer, even if in this chapter one of them didn't make an appearance; never fear though, with Soujiro's definitive entrance in the story… actually, I get the distinct feeling that next chapter it will be even clearer just how much that character is vital to the development of K/K's relationship. I know it sounds odd, but you'll get my meaning soon enough. As for your thoughts on the "GOODNIGHT/GOODBYE" scene, you are absolutely right. When I wrote it, I wanted imperfection to show itself, I wanted fantasies to be seen for what they are, merely unrealistic imaginings. I wanted the idea of a K/K relationship to be very much possible, but at the same time, I wanted to cast all idealism aside, as I will continue to try and do little by little throughout their story. Theirs will never be a perfect tale, but I doubt that anything dealing with human emotions can be perfect so, I am glad that you agree with me on this point, because it is one of this fanfic's focal points. I am also glad that we are both on the same page when it comes down to Aoshi's subtle part in this fic – we both know that that won't last long. In regards to the characters' age differences, in this story they are not the same as in the original manga/anime, but Aoshi and Kenshin are, no doubts about it, older than their female counterparts. I hope the change in the soundtrack section at the top was an improvement; in the case of this chapter it is only the songs listed and not the whole album that inspired me, or that are meant to be heard for background purposes. Thank you for your comments and your appraisal. Thank you for always being around. Till next chapter!

**To Vic'chonn: **I took a philosophy class last semester: Sartre blew me away! And Heidegger… he's so very interesting! Last chapter was difficult to put in words – everything was pretty much already clicking in my head – because it's hard to get across how meaningful Kenshin's sudden existence in her life has become to Kaoru and to not let that indicate that LOVE with a capital L is in the air, but rather that everything you hold dear or even that you know, is temporary. I'm happy that, even as charged as the chapter was, for that cannot be denied, you felt it and liked it. I can't really say anything right now – wouldn't want to give myself away or anything – but your suspicions relating to Soujiro are and both are not accurate. I know that that just makes me sound like "the Riddler" from Batman, but as secrets start to unfold, that sentence will actually make sense. Hahaha. More Tsubame in this chapter: want to take any guesses as to how she fits into the grand scheme of things? As to understanding your notion of coming to better comprehend the author through a chapter like nº 19….we see eye to eye and I get your drift. Thanks for the review and always keep 'em coming! Bye!

**To missaw: **Well, the movie "Mighty Aphrodite" is a comedy starring Mira Sorvino. It's nothing major as far as movies go and it isn't, I'll admit, one of Allen's best films, but it's a nice rent, it's entertaining and the part with the Greek choir is so bizarre it always made me laugh, no matter the circumstances. Besides, the storyline is pretty interesting in and of itself. I know that you are one of the reviewers who is most interested in the Aoshi/Misao side story: as you can see, I added to it this chapter and your opinion on it would be much appreciated. I'm sure I still have you on your toes because nothing has yet been revealed and the interaction between both characters has not changed but, all in good time, nay? Thank you for always reviewing and… got any movie recommendations? 'Cause, I got to tell you, a night curled up on the couch with popcorn sounds real good right about now! See you next chapter!

**To Shiomei: **Last chapter was pretty bittersweet, hunh? The thing is, I believe that when it comes down to Kaoru, there are many unexplored layers to who she is as a person. The cheery, upbeat, optimistic side of her is just that; a side. Like everyone else, she too has her darker hours, perhaps not with the same intensity as others and surely not in the same way as most, but… Remember when Kenshin left for Kyoto and she became almost dead to the world? That is a clear surefire sign that this girl is much more than meets the eye! And I guess that as the author of a story with her as the main character, it is my responsibility to make every single aspect of her known to the readers. Kenshin has skeletons in the closet that I, just like you, think he has to put behind him to be able to move on with a girl like Kaoru by his side. The problem is, what if these past demons catch up with him? On that note, I leave you with a hearty thank you and the assumption that you will review this chapter as well.

**To VanyD: **No need for violence, alright? We _are_ friends! Sheesh, I think Kaoru is rubbing off on you a little too much! Hahahaha. I've taken your advice and read "Moving On"; I've also reviewed it and enjoyed it since you have a good storyline in your hands right there. Tests are evil, and don't I know it! Luckily December is on its way and that will be one more semester of journalism behind me, tests and all! Thanks for always being so kind and wishing me good luck during those test weeks that make me feel as if I am purgatorying or something! Having reviewers like you makes it all worthwhile!

**To Rhapsody07: **Yep, I'm a journalism student, but my greatest dream is actually to be a successful writer. The journalism part of my life equation is the bit where I need to figure out how the hell to make a living because, studying English will clearly not get me very far, or at least that's the way I saw things when I had to start my university days. It's cool to hear that your sister is interested in journalism, just make sure to tell her that it's not everything it's cracked up to be, that being on the inside makes you see just how flawed the world of mass media is. Kenshin… he's Kenshin, he's dense by nature, he says stuff like "we were not on a date" without thinking about the possible consequences. And, to appease you, no he is most definitely not the father of Tomoe's baby; that would just have been geographically impossible! Thanks for the review darling. Till next time!

**To Kean: **Aha! I made you feel bad for Tomoe! I think that that is, by far, one of my greatest accomplishments as of yet! I am not entirely surprised that after reading chapter 19 you felt kind of hollow considering that that was basically how I was feeling at the time. What doesn't cease to amaze me, though, is the fact that that feeling managed to reach you, that my writing was able to touch you so, something that I desperately seek to do, as you very well discerned by uncovering the meaning behind this story's title. Sorry to hear that tests were held so close to your birthday, but so is life, right? Rarely is fate fair! You could never rave too much, in my opinion…of course, that would be my ego talking! Hahaha! I should tell you that, no matter how it may seem at one time or another, this is a K/K story so, although I am flattered by the fact that you would consider reading this despite the possibility of another pairing taking precedence, you won't have to worry about that ever happening. Doesn't that make you glad? As for Tomoe and Kenshin…I'm trying to make their past involvement as moving as possible, my main goal being to try and get people to stop frowning down at Tomoe so much. Lovely review really! Thanks ever so much for it! I hope that this chapter was up to your standards as well! Bye!

**To Ri-nee-chan: **Clichés… actually, I think I do employ plenty of them, I just give them somewhat of a twist. In fact, I think that my take on the typical frat party situation is a perfect example of the use of clichés in my stories; they're there, only approached as differently as I can. I have to say, I enjoy writing Kaoru like you wouldn't believe! You are right when you say that she doesn't just know what to say, that generally she simply happens to stumble upon the right words: imperfection in characters is what, to me, makes them endearing and relatable, something that I find essential. I would love to lower the rating of this story in order for you to add it to your C2 list but, sadly, I'm not willing to take the risk of this site deleting this fic. Trust me, if I could lower the rating without the danger of having this site erase the story, it would be my pleasure. Sorry to have to let you down though. Could you refresh my memory and tell me which quote it is that placed in the last chapter of "All I wanted" that you love so? Kisses and thanks for constantly being on my side!

**To Dea Mariella:** In your last review you asked me how the Aoshi/Misao thing was going; I guess that, in all fairness, now it's my turn to ask you the same question: how do you think it is going? I am glad that you like my Tomoe, especially since I work really hard on her, precisely because everyone tends to _be_ so hard on her. I don't understand why exactly, since she's not Kikyou or anything… Granted she betrayed Kenshin, but she fell in love with him also and died in order to save his life – albeit emotionally scarring him for life. Okay, so I understand why she isn't exactly the most sympathetic of characters, but I still don't think she's the bitch everyone makes her out to be. Well, I'm going now so, I'll see you soon!

**To ****me** Oh, I don't know… Megumi can be a hard person but, in her own way, she does know how to love.

**To Aryanne:** Tell me about it: studying for classes like "the sociology of communication" or anthropology wipes me out! Thank goodness for December being only a November away! On another note, I am so happy that you no longer feel the urge to groan aloud when Tomoe's name pops up on the screen…especially since I'm not done with her, meaning you will still have to put up with with her for some time. Tomoe is a character that I don't particularly love or vehemently hate; she simply intrigues me, which could very well be the reason why her part in this story isn't nearly as insignificant or small as it could have been, to the displeasure of most of my readers. Curiously enough, you are the only person to have broached the subject of Tsubame and the way I wrote her into the story, with the idea of a country still brimming with hope, despite its deplorable situation: I find it great that you enjoyed that specific tidbit of chapter 19. Identifying with a piece is always nice and, as for my own Nana, she too left a significant impression on me. Sometimes, I find myself talking like her, quoting her and stuff without even realizing it. It just goes to show… Long reviews are wonderful, so never ever feel as if though you are writing too much; as you put it, yep, they totally rock! And so do you! Thanks for reviewing and… see ya!

**To evilteddybear:** It's always so flattering to hear that a story of mine is being added to someone's favorites list! Thank you for reviewing and for you words of praise!

**To Misato-Katsuragi2: **I know, I know, this chapter also has a lot of narrative: I can't help it! I'll try for more dialogue next chapter, I promise! And yes, what made Kenshin all introspective and vitriolic was indeed Tomoe's call, the one that ruined a perfectly good reconciliation between two people who are but beginning to get to know one another; that's bound to make anyone bitter, right? Ah, grasshopper, I see you catch on quick: indeed, the past is soon going to come into the present and turn everything upside-down, sort of speak. This chapter…I'm not sure if it cleared up anything at all; you tell me, hunh? Thank you for reviewing and here's to hoping that this chapter was okay in your eyes!

**To Venus Smurf:** You're back!!! This is most definitely awesome news!!! I know you haven't reached this chapter yet, but I will go on ahead and respond to the reviews that you have already left me, so that everything doesn't pile up, okay? I don't hate you and I did not urge you to review – in spite of how much I wanted you to – because I understand that sometimes life takes precedence over a simple fanfiction. Therefore, I learned to grow patient and, hey, you've come back, which means that this whole waiting calmly business paid off! All that being said, there is nothing to forgive. As for your comments: I know that you are fond of my sound sequences so, to be truthful, reading your review gave me the idea for the Aoshi/Misao scene with the sprinkler in the background in this chapter. It is fun to taunt Megumi, isn't it? Kaoru is a very pleasant character to write. I think I have worked so long and hard with her that, to me, she comes ever so naturally now. I try to keep her as real and as imperfect as possible without straying from her original good-hearted self; it's a difficult balance to find, but the fun of it is in the challenge, I suppose. I know that a naked Sano should be a good thing, but the idea of Kenshin seeing _him_ naked… I bet that that's what made you shudder! I have a question: how come all of your teachers are foreigners? Where do you study? I once had an English teacher who was Colombian and spoke with a Jamaican accent: it was a hoot! Personally, I think that the Hobbits are the gayest creatures to have ever been thought up but, to avoid getting killed by a crazed horde of "Lord of the Rings" fans, I decided to play it safe and put both opinions down on paper; after all, if it is in writing, then no one need die! You, my friend are kinky! The things you and a Kenshin of your own would have to do to distract him from ever getting around to doing the laundry! Seriously, I'd rather not know, thanks… hahahah. You know, I do think that it is wrong for you to wish that Tomoe gets killed off soon especially because I fear that you cannot see a blessing in disguise when it is right beneath your nose! Oh no, have I said too much? Perhaps I should leave you to ponder that, hunh? As always dear, your reviews make me blush like no others and I can't help but be ecstatic at the thought of you, once again, reviewing me. Welcome back!!!

**To Ocean Fish:** Ah, the "Deep Throat" comment: before you jump to conclusions, you have to remember that I am a journalism student, which, in turn, means that I have to study stuff like the history of journalism and therefore learn about important cases and journalist's active roles in them. That being said, do you remember the Watergate scandal? Well Deep Throat was the codename given to a source that helped the journalists who uncovered the fiasco go public and gather the information necessary to, in a way, bury President Nixon. Of course, later on, trash culture went right on ahead and gave Deep Throat a dirty connotation with the production of a porn flick with that very name. Now do you understand that I meant that you would be my source? Well, I for one find TV to be pretty educational, even VH1; it helps you learn something new every day – be it useful information or not. As for the chapter, glad you liked it. As for your fanfics, I know that university is bound to keep you busy, busy, busy, but please try to find the time to update before the year is over. Alright pookie, I'm saying goodbye now; e-mail me whenever you can. Bye!

* * *

Well, I never knew I was receiving so many reviews until after writing out this 'reviewer responses' segment. I'm tired now so, until I write again everyone, this is me saying 'adios amigos'!

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	21. Smashed Pumpkins

_STANDARD__ DISCLAIMERS APPLY:_ Though I would like to say that I have amassed millions upon millions of dollars by creating and owning anything remotely Rurouni Kenshin related, I hereby declare that I don't even have a bank account…

**Quick little message from author: **A proud survivor of a fourth semester of journalism salutes you all! Merry Chrismukkah – meshing both holidays into one simply sounds more politically correct – everybody! Have an excellent New Year! I hope that all of you enjoy this chapter and that the year 2005 kicks off beautifully, though the Tsunami disaster in Asia will certainly overshadow the celebrations – rightfully so.

**Soundtrack: **_Part 1_: "Kiss me (acoustic version)" – Sixpence None the Richer. _Part 2:_ "Combat Baby" – "Metric; "American Idiot" – Greenday. _Part 3:_ "In my Place" – Coldplay. _Part 4:_ "19-2000" – Gorillaz. _Part 5:_ "Rock the Casbah" – The Clash. _Part 6: _"D'yer Maker" – Led Zeppelin. _Part 7: _"My Bad Reputation" – Joan Jett; "Offer" – Alanis Morissette; "Everything" – Alanis Morissette. _Part 8:_ "You Never Can Tell" – Chuck Berry

* * *

**Chapter 21: Smashed Pumpkins**

* * *

Stolen minutes. Those few extra minutes spent lazily hiding beneath a blanket on a particularly cold morning are wonderful. Sometimes, I wish they never ended.

I'm too warm and comfortable and uncaring to consider hoping out of bed and facing the world just yet. A bird or two chirp, soft light bathes the room, a chilly breeze ruffles my hair and flirts with the curtain. The clock on the wall ticks ominously, but I don't want to know anything about silly notions of time; all I want is to wiggle my toes.

All I want is to continue feeling this enrapturing gentleness, my fuzzy state of mind making everything seem… so easy.

Stolen moments. Sometimes, I pretend that there's someone beside me, kissing my brow, sharing this peaceful, slow awakening with me.

I dream a lot. I dream about being cherished and loved. I dream about being cared for and caring deeply for another. And, during those stolen minutes, the dream seems more attainable, more real somehow.

* * *

"_Deck__ the __halls__ with boughs of holly, Fa-la-la-la-la, la_ –oops… wrong holiday!"

"Misao, if you so much as open your mouth to start singing the Monster Mash, I guarantee you'll have a jack-o-lantern for a head faster than you can say 'Hocus Pocus'!"

Slowly, almost cautiously, Misao's widely parted lips drew together into a thin line. Glaring at the back of Kaoru's head, the perpetually upbeat girl childishly stuck her tongue out at the party pooper in question, before carefully spinning around atop the highest step of the wooden ladder she had been precariously perched upon all morning.

Diligently and purposefully silent, she continued to tape a tinsel garland and black balloons onto the uppermost corner of the whitewashed school gym's wall. Not being an early riser, she had been labeled as a "late arrival" and, much to her chagrin, charged with balloon duty.

"Bloody _Mary,_ Kaoru! I can't believe I almost called you a spoilsport… again…"

"Well 'jeepers creepers' Misao, I didn't know this was supposed to be _fun_!"

"Because, had you _known_, it would have made a difference…"

Sticking her hand out of a pumpkin, Kaoru leaned against the long picnic table brought in from the quad by the dance committee and sighed. How she wished she were still in bed…

"I'm sorry, I'm just… Explain to me why we're doing this again, please?" She asked, still unable to wrap her head around the idea that this was indeed happening and that she, Kaoru Kamiya, was in fact making the school look pretty enough for a Halloween Dance… Ugh…

"We don't have enough community service hours to graduate?" Misao suggested, a balloon popping noisily somewhere in the background.

'"Yep," Kaoru assented gloomily, "that sounds about right."

"At least it's for a good cause!" Misao exclaimed cheerfully whilst struggling to maintain her balance. It was the millionth time that she teetered dangerously on that ladder, yet again narrowly escaping death.

"Yeah…" Kaoru agreed, a soft smile worming its way onto her face as she stared long and hard at her chipped nail polish and the rest of her pumpkin-covered hand. "I'm just glad we didn't get needled into taking the elementary school kids trick or treating, or something."

Looking over her shoulder at the blue-eyed girl, Misao couldn't help but cringe; had she truly forgotten to mention that the demon headmaster did not only want them to show signs of school spirit by decorating the halls, the gym, the classrooms and, basically, any bare wall in sight, but that he also wanted the lot of them – the misfortunate few who lacked the required amount of community service hours to graduate at the end of the school year – to do their part and head trick or treating groups that afternoon? Boy was she in trouble!

In fact, if the savage way Kaoru was busily spooning the pulp and seeds out of that pumpkin – with a big, fat, perverse grin on her face to boot! – was any indication, gulping was very much in order and a wobbly ladder was to be the least of her troubles.

"Umm… yeah, about that…"

Truth be told, had white noise not deafened all assembled inside the school gymnasium, Misao would have probably been able to finish her sentence – "probably" being the key word.

"Now _that's_ what I call a sound system!" Kaoru yelled appreciatively over the blaring music.

Quickly climbing down the old rickety ladder, the most openly curious of the girls ran to the nearest window to sneak a peek at the commotion on the quad. Once her sage-green eyes locked on the source of such divine chaos, the clattering of the decrepit ladder at long last collapsing unto itself fell on all too deaf ears.

"Hey, Kamiya… is that… Kaz?" Misao asked loudly, a quivering finger pointed at a figure coolly striding away from a beat up black car.

"Please! As if Kaz owned…" Pinning her nose against the glass, the rest of Kaoru's clever remark stuck to her throat, a disturbing rasp the only sound she was capable of emitting. It simply couldn't be…

"Either pinch me or point me in the nearest direction to the Styx River; I have a bad feeling that that creaky wooden ladder finally did me in!"

"Is that a mohawk I see?"

"Not to mention a bull ring."

"Bold move."

"I know! Not everyone can pull one off!"

Admiration and shock; confusion and slowly dawning comprehension; awe and horror: was this a miracle or a sign of the impending apocalypse? Neither girl had a clue; it was too soon to tell.

"Hey girls! Who are we ogling today and, more importantly, how are them 'buns'?"

Whirling around rapidly, with identical petrified expressions permanently engraved on their faces, the alarmed twosome took in Terry's dirty smirk and simultaneously made gagging noises.

"Terry, we were gaping in wonder at the new and improved – or so it seems – version of Kaz; trust me, no ogling was involved!" Kaoru hastily explained.

"No ogling will ever be involved!" Misao pressed on hurriedly. "Thoughts of Kaz will always and forever be asexual where I am concerned!"

"For crying out loud! You mentioned Kaz's rear end!"

"I'm scarred for life!"

"So what if it was Kaz?" Terry inquired nonplussed, her platinum blonde fringe hiding a pair of raised eyebrows. "I don't get what the big deal is. It's not like I haven't groped his ass before; it's pretty firm."

Misao and Kaoru deadpanned. Their wild-child friend was being serious, wasn't she?

"You… Terry… Kaz…" Misao managed to stammer out, her right eye twitching spasmodically.

"What?" Terry insisted, unable to understand the girls' strange behavior. "It's not like we had sex or anything; we just fooled around once."

Fish out of water: what an impression the shocked pair made.

"Anyway, what do you guys think about his hair?" The good-humored blonde asked, casually digging her hands into her jeans' front pockets. "I dyed it for him yesterday."

"One: that was way too much information…" Kaoru listed, shuddering at the very thought of their fellow classmate's little confession. "Two, and just so we're clear: Kaz went from nerdy-ish, sensitive, slightly EMO kind of guy to punk overnight?"

"Well, Iron Maiden was way too heavy for him, so I figured that if he wanted a change, it couldn't be all that drastic. Punk rock seemed like a nice middle ground for him; he's too happy by nature to be a goth."

Terry could keep on talking; it didn't mean that what she said had to make any sense, though.

"Do we have to pray that he's not into Avril Lavigne?" The wannabe actress in their midst demanded gravely, fearful that the answer to her question would be a thumbs up.

"I forbid him from going near that particular CD rack at the record store."

"The big question, though, is why is he doing this?" Kaoru wondered aloud, her mind drifting down a specifically dreary path. "Is this a manifestation of rebellion against his father? Is he acting out? Is this a lame attempt at hitting his old man where it hurts most? Has he been infected with the post-modern ennui disease that has taken over high-schools everywhere? Or, could it be that Kaz has finally come into touch with the cool side of his personality?"

"Does Kaz even have a cool side?" Misao asked levelly, popping a Jolly Rancher into her mouth.

"This will take some getting used to..." Kaoru admitted, warily looking out the wide window. "Stupid post-modernism! From art to trend…"

Even if she figured that her friends were overreacting, Terry had to hand it to them: post-modern ennui could be a drag and, considering their lovely pal's dubious reasons for owning a Sex Pistols CD, at the moment the boy was nothing short of an irritating poser. However, they all did love him to bits and the bizarre always did tend to have its fair share of good:

"Girls, big picture: free rides, awesome sound system, good tunes galore and Kaz – being the spoiled brat that he is – will definitely score us all tickets to great rock concerts. _Now_ what do you think about the drastic change?"

Terry Anderson's words of wisdom hit home; after all, she was the one sole member of their little group capable of seeing beyond an ocean of details, relaxing and enjoying freewheeling. Her big blasé heart always managed to put things in perspective.

"I can see myself riding the crest of _that_ wave!" Misao commented with a wink, visibly cheered up.

"Kaz was the normal one – compared to the rest of you lot, anyway. I see myself drowning in a sea of Xanax!" Kaoru whined, visibly upset.

"Good!" Terry mischievously cheered. "Now, at what time is he supposed to pick us up for the trick or treating mayhem? My band has a gig tonight and I can't be late."

The sapphire-eyed teen took one lock at the panic written all over her best friend's face and knew without shadow of a doubt that something was up, something that she most definitely was not going to like.

"What trick or treating?" She asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing onto the ashen-faced, tightlipped female that stood trembling before her. "Well?"

Realizing that Kaoru had no clue as to what was going on, Terry steered clear of the two girls, leaned against a wall covered in black spider webs and… waited for the show to get on the road. This was going to be…amusing.

Misao laughed nervously and took approximately ten paces away from the soon-to-be-murderous senior before hesitantly starting to explain just why exactly _she_ was going _down_:

"Umm… about that…"

Five minutes later a large pumpkin crashed through a gym window, soared through the air and splattered onto the school's front yard: smashed pumpkins season was on!

* * *

How could it be so hard? Kenshin tightly crumpled the already crinkled napkin in his fist. Who was he kidding? He was a coward; always had been. Like Tomoe used to say, it was always "one step forward and two steps back" with him. 

Releasing the worn paper napkin from his grip, Kenshin flattened it out on the coffee table and re-read the phone number carefully jotted onto it. Most people would have hurriedly scribbled the digits, awful and barely legible calligraphy on the soft, ribbed paper surface the only traces of a day or night spent in good company, the last vestiges of and the blossoming hope for a future encounter. But not Kaoru.

No, when she decided that he should be able to contact her "whenever", as she had so eloquently put it, she had taken her sweet time writing down the curvy letters of her name and the rounded numbers that were currently tormenting him. She had deposited such trust in him with that "whenever", something usually reserved for only the closest of friends, and by being so open every time they met… she wasn't like anyone he knew.

He was used to people wearing masks, chasing their tails, erecting barriers and employing every type of self-defense mechanism known to man; such day by day sincerity as was hers was new and, frankly, somewhat intimidating.

Maybe that was it, that was what made it so hard for him to simply punch in the number sequence adroitly scrawled down on a paltry napkin after hearing the telephone's dial tone. Whatever the reason, it was too bad that he _always_ stopped at the dial tone.

Glaring murderously at the receiver, Kenshin gently massaged his scalp and got to wondering just why exactly it was that fate had taken him on as its favorite chew toy. See, if it weren't for the dry-cleaning, then he wouldn't even _be_ in this position. Although, if she hadn't been such an utter drunken mess that night, he wouldn't have had to dispose of his favorite pair of shoes and send her clothes off to the dry cleaners to begin with. Then again, he could have simply left her to fend off for herself at the frat party, as opposed to taking up the role of knight in shining armor.

Come to think of it, fate had nothing at all to do with it. He'd screwed himself over quite nicely without the help of divine intervention this time around; he was just an idiot that way, an idiot who – by the by – wouldn't stop staring at a wrinkled napkin. An idiot who couldn't keep his eyes off the phone. An idiot who was, no buts about it, going on a quick ride to a nice house with a nice garden to see a nice girl about returning some clothes.

With a loud sigh, Kenshin picked up the remote, turned the television on and began stalling. What was he supposed to say when he saw her? Her 'goodbye' had been pretty adamant when they'd last seen each other, even if he had been pretty opposed to it himself. Either way, did he make it hasty or did he actually want to stick around and chat idly for a while? Most importantly, though, how did he know that it was going to take him throwing away at least another hour of his life – as if he hadn't wasted enough time hunched over the telephone – before he was finally out the door? Why did he have to be such an idiot? A procrastinating idiot, at that…

In light of the circumstances, all Kenshin could do was sigh and maul over the crisis while watching reruns of some old, boring '70s sitcom. Sorting things out was clearly going to take a while, even if, in the back of his head, he already knew that he would be playing the part of delivery boy that very same warm October afternoon.

* * *

I should have never gotten out of bed…

"Misao, would you kindly turn away from the TV screen for five seconds please?"

Nothing. No reaction. I doubt she's even blinking.

"Misao, I'm talking to you."

Still nothing. It's as if she's under hypnosis and I'm just a fly on the wall. A very far off wall. A wall in a faraway land. A wall floating around in space.

"Misao!"

If it were anyone else, I would consider the possibility that they'd gone deaf but, seeing Misao sitting at the very foot of her bed, digging into a giant bowl of popcorn, I'd be damned if I didn't know otherwise…

"Misao, stop the tape this instant or Piglet gets it!"

Now _that_ had the desired effect! Truth be told, grabbing hold of the pink stuffed animal and threatening to decapitate it _always_ had the desired effect; that's what happens when people get too attached to material possessions, I suppose...

"Kaoru!!! Quit threatening Piglet!" Misao wails, wide eyes finally ungluing themselves from the screen. "Can't you wait five more minutes? He's about to drop her off at the embassy; that's one of the most moving scenes!"

No one can blame me if the sudden urge to roll my eyes creeps over me, right? I mean, she's seen this old movie a million times already and all she has to do is press 'pause', listen to me rant, help me find a solution to the problem that is mostly her fault – for starters – and then I'll be on my merry way and she can peacefully get back to worshipping Audrey Hepburn. The way I see it, I'm being pretty darn reasonable, all things considered.

"Last warning…"

Glaring at me as if I'd gone right on ahead and killed her best friend – who I, incidentally, happen to be – she heeds my request and, though angry, gives me her full attention. Frankly, I could do without her unfounded, controlled rage, but at least she's not giving me lip…yet, anyway.

Snatching the rose colored plushie out of my grasp, she hugs it to her chest and throws a handful of popcorn at me for good measure.

"I know that terrorism is 'in' now, but I'd appreciate it if you refrained from taking Piglet hostage ever again," she comments crisply, all the while smoothing out the wrinkles on the duvet.

"Yeah, I don't think so. Anyhow," I press onward, ignoring her incensed stare as I pace across the room, "I'm in a bit of a predicament and you have quite a bit to do with it. Care to hazard a guess?"

I may have gotten her worked up by interrupting her little film session but, by the sheepish way she's now looking at me, I get the distinct feeling that she knows exactly where I'm going with this.

"Umm… not really, no. But tell me, how did it go at the store?"

Feigning ignorance has never cut it with me, especially when a person goes right on ahead and makes it so freakishly obvious! Dear me, will Misao ever learn?

"Slim pickings."

"How slim?"

"My choices have been narrowed down to, either a chicken suit, a bear suit, a clown suit, a Santa suit, or a white sheet."

"Personally, I'd go with the white sheet; the other costumes will only add on excess padding and make you look pregnant or obese."

Sitting down on the bed beside my green-eyed, impish classmate, strangling her is currently at the forefront of my 'to do' list: I can't believe that she has the gall to crack jokes at my expense when this is all her lousy fault to begin with!

"You are seconds away from getting pummeled, little girl. Unless, of course, you have some sort of contribution to make to this conversation that will rid me of the quirky homicidal thoughts spinning round inside my head."

Squirming uncomfortably under my intense gaze, Misao quickly stuffs Piglet under her billowy shirt, seeking to protect the stuffed animal with a defective ear – a tea party gone wrong when she was four caused the poor thing irreparable damage – like a mother would a child.

With it now presumably safe from harm – I won't make any promises –, the infuriating girl decides to go on Rodin's _The Thinker_ mode and mull over the subject. Insert cue for me to randomly pluck strands of hair from my scalp right there, please.

A short while later, her sudden face-splitting grin can do nothing but put me on edge. Also, I have to admit, it has me checking for a light bulb floating over her head like some sort of halo.

"By George, I think I've got it!"

"You've been watching too many old movies lately…"

Paying me little to no attention, Misao leaps off the bed and makes a run for the closet. Throwing its doors open, she plunges in, her bouncy silhouette disappearing from sight.

Skirts, tops, shirts, shorts, socks – was that a garter? – tankinis, cardigans and other assorted clothing articles fly through the air and land all over the bedroom floor, scattered.

An eternity or two later, she reemerges and strides confidently towards me, proudly holding up her find for all the world to see.

"Misao… are those coconuts???"

Maybe I should have just let her watch _Roman Holiday_ in peace…

* * *

"And remember boys and girls, cherry bombs are your friend," the Grim Reaper said, patting a dwarf's head. 

On the other side of the corridor, by a row of gray lockers, a very sexy cowgirl tipped her black hat and responded to a princess' question:

"Actually, I find it best to stay in character all throughout the afternoon. I speak from personal experience when I say that grown-ups find that particularly endearing – Snow White was a great role for me –, which is fantastic considering our main goal: to get as much candy as possible!"

Standing by the water fountain, a blue fairy waved her wand around and separated pirates and soldiers from witches and mermaids.

"Boys on one side, girls on the other," she hollered, her silver wand tracing an invisible dividing line between the two groups. "Now, repeat after me: 'trick or treat'!"

"This thing is itchy!" Kaoru complained, scratching her thigh and casting a sidelong glance at Danielle, the fairy with military tendencies, while the kids surrounding them responded enthusiastically and noisily to her command.

"I'll say! This nicotine patch is killing me!" Terry whined, rubbing her arm. "I take it none of you have a light, right?"

A seven year old ghost flickered on a flashlight, but all he got out of the tall blonde wearing a pleated mini skirt with double leather buckles was a heavy sigh and a shake of the head.

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna go on outside for a sec and see if there's anyone I can bum a cigarette from," Terry announced, ripping off the nicotine patch. "You gonna be okay in that grass skirt?"

"Only if Dani stops encouraging the little monsters to scream as loud as their lungs allow..."

"I doubt that'll ever happen. Cheer up, though: at least you're not wearing a coconut bra!"

Grumbling and tugging at her lei, the petite raven-haired high school senior watched her friend go with considerable dread. Showing as much skin as she was – never in a million years would she have guessed that she would be parading around the school's hallways in a bikini top – she needed her support system to keep her from going red in the face every split second. Her 'support system', however, seemed to have other plans…

"I don't understand what all the fuss is about, Kaoru; I think the Hawaiian look suits you just fine."

And the support system was back on track! Danielle sure knew how to be sweet. True, she was bossy like hell, but her kindness and syrupy voice were the perfect cover-up; never would one expect domineering stances from the gentle, delicate sixteen-year-old. The devil's advantage – or rather, in this particular case, the fairy's – lies in its uncanny ability to mislead, as they say.

"Thanks, Dani." Kaoru swiveled her head to the side and frostily glowered at the person in a cow-print mini dress. "Misao is still going to pay with interests, but thanks."

When said person wearing said mini dress heard said comment, she couldn't refrain from scowling and dispersing the crowd of little girls circling her with a few dismissive waves of her hand. Walking over to the blue fairy and the hula dancer in her black cowboy boots, Nancy Sinatra came to mind, for some odd reason…

"I heard that!"

"It's no secret!"

The beads dangling at the end of Danielle's thin cornrows tinkled and clinked together once her shoulders started shaking. At the sight of the squabble – more specifically, her friends' scrunched up faces and the raspberry blowing taking place – keeping laughter reigned in was oh so hard!

"Oh, stop it! You look a little pale in a swimsuit, but you work out; your flat, sturdy tummy relatively makes up for the lack of sunkissed skin," Misao stated rather tactlessly, momentarily putting an end to the feud. "So… are we still on for tonight?"

"Last time I checked, mom and dad still love Halloween…" Kaoru mumbled, arms stubbornly crossed over her chest.

"Excellent! See, my cousin's in town and I was wondering if he could come with."

"Whatever." Kaoru remarked, shrugging her shoulders. "Which cousin? You have like fifty! It's hard to keep count and remember who's who."

"Smiley!"

"He must have horrible parents."

"It's a nickname, you dope!" Misao corrected, rolling her eyes. Her fake wispy eyelashes made her look like Daisy Duck when she did that.

"My bad: _you're_ the horrible one."

"Okay, I'm horrible. Moving along; you know Smiley."

"Sorry, but 'Smiley' doesn't really ring a bell."

"Well, when you see him tonight, you'll know him."

"Sure, whatever," Kaoru agreed indifferently, for her thoughts and her eyes were far too busy elsewhere. That little boy, if he so much as did what she thought he would go right on ahead and do, then… "Hey Bluebeard, quit pulling Rapunzel's hair! The way to a girl's heart, contrarily to what your instincts are telling you right now, is not paved with assault – that just leads to a restraining order. And you, Superman, stop picking your nose! It's a bad habit, it's gross and I suggest you outgrow it fast! Picture this as a life motto, if it helps any: 'Play-Doh or boogers? Plasticine is cooler'. Hey you! Cherub boy! No wedgies allowed on my watch, even if it is your God given right on this All Hallows Eve to terrorize the neighborhood!"

Supervising rugrats wasn't easy, that was for sure!

"Damn!" Danielle uttered, awed at the way that her friend was amazingly enough taking charge of the situation with the trick or treaters. "And afterwards they call _me_ bossy! Compared to this, I'm just highly determined."

"Please! You, highly determined and a notch less than bossy? That's like saying Kaz's mohawk isn't clashing with his hood!" Misao intervened.

"Says the porn star cowgirl!" Kaz exclaimed, pointing his plastic scythe at the skimpily dressed female.

"I'm sorry _Casey_, but you look like a grim version of the Coneheads. Oh and, FYI, there's a difference between sensuous and downright pornographic."

"Your fence net pantyhose makes it really hard for me to see the thin line, Misao."

Toddling away from the bickering twosome, Danielle made her way toward the cafeteria, only to bump into Terry after barely taking two steps in its direction.

"So, what did I miss?"

Hmm…How should she phrase it, exactly?

"Don't worry Terry, you will still be a part of their childhood memories."

* * *

"So, how did it go with your crew?" 

"Fairly well. We hit a couple of slumps once or twice, but my kids have enough sugar on them for each and every one of them to suffer diabetic comas."

"Success and excess often go hand in hand!"

"I'm just glad I'm not a parent; all those brats are going to get stomachaches for sure."

"Halloween just wouldn't be Halloween without the sugar highs and bellyaching, Kaoru."

"Yeah… just like no Halloween is complete without old Mrs. Wheeler."

"Raisins again?"

"Since we were children, nature's candy has been her contribution to the holiday; why would this year be any different?"

"People change?"

"I don't think Mrs. Wheeler is a fan of personal growth."

"But you are."

"That I am, Misao."

"Which means that when she acted all shocked at the children's disappointment, you _clarified_ things for her, didn't you?"

"You read me like a book."

"That I do. So, what were your exact words?"

"Oh, all I did was tell her that she gave children who crave sugar highs like a junkie does cocaine raisins and that, instead of behaving all surprised, she should count her lucky stars and be glad that they were only kids and not substance deprived drug addicts experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Why she slammed the door in my face is pretty much open to interpretation."

Sitting on the hood of Kaz's sad excuse for a car, Misao and Kaoru amiably chatted away, sharing a packet of marshmallows. Sometime in the afternoon, Misao had decided to forgo the cowboy hat and, currently, she was regretting the boots; it was simply too hot to be wearing anything over her head and her feet were in dire need of a soak in cool water. As for the black silk neckerchief that she had worn round her neck, it had been thrown to the wind – along with caution – once one of the kiddies she had been in charge of almost got run over by a minivan.

"So… what are we waiting for? I'm dying to get out of this itchy fake grass skirt!" Kaoru mentioned, scratching her knee.

"Instructions."

"Instructions?"

"Instructions."

Gazing off to the horizon, Kaoru tried to catch a glimpse of that which held her best friend captive… to no avail. Finally, and with a shrug of her shoulders, she pulled on one of her companion's braids and pressed the subject:

"Spill Makimachi!"

"Ow! Stop pulling!" The abused girl yelped.

"Start talking!"

"Ow! No! Patience is a-"

"I am wearing a bikini top and the sun already went down; I spent my entire afternoon keeping kids in line; I helped decorate the school: be a dear and make my day by elaborating on the 'instructions' deal," Kaoru said sweetly, yanking on the girl's braid with all her might.

"Alright guys; we're all set," Kaz commented, before staring at the weird scene unfolding before him. "Guys… what's going on?"

In a desperate attempt to escape her aggressor, Misao did the unthinkable and pinched Kaoru's nipple. When the car owner's voice reached their ears, the pair stopped in their tracks and thus, Kaz found them: one with a hand in the other's hair, and one with her hand on the other's boob.

"Is there something either of you would like to confess? I promise I won't judge."

Swiftly jumping away from each other, a shower of marshmallows met asphalt. Blushing furiously, Kaoru rubbed her sore breast while Misao did the same with her aching scalp.

"Keep your male fantasizing to yourself and get to the point." Kaoru ordered, her embarrassment quickly replaced by anger in the wake of the teenage boy's lewd grin.

"You're no fun," he said, pouting.

With a dejected sigh, the teenager figured he had no choice but to get down to business, so, he spoke:

"Halloween is the greatest time of the year. Every 31st of October, we have the unique chance to do and get away with almost anything. Sadly, tradition has kept us from making use of this day's significance to its full potential; we've been made to wait in the sidelines for our time in the sun. Ladies, at long last, our night has come and sticking to tradition has paid off. Tonight will be a night that none of us shall ever forget. Tonight will be ours! Tonight… it's payback time."

Misao was positively beaming; Kaoru, on the other hand, was positively lost.

"Congratulations on the presidential speech Kaz, but I'm still waiting for you to start speaking English."

The poor boy opened and shut his mouth several times, before shaking his head and letting it go, as he often had to do when dealing with this, one of his closest friends. He always had to bear in mind that she was blessed with a very critical spirit, even if she was not prone to passing judgment on anyone and sticking with the sentence.

Kaoru was not shy about complaining, but at the end of the day, pettiness was not in her nature and she preferred to overlook things, mannerisms and strong personality traits that she didn't particularly agree with rather than to go about labeling people. In other words, her oftentimes vexing attitude was ultimately forgivable.

Opting to cut back on the rest of his impassioned preamble to 'The Great Halloween Plan', Kaz did things the boring, prosaic way, and unveiled the egg carton he had been hiding behind his back.

"We're entitled to… making omelets?" Kaoru inquired, now more confused than ever before.

Smacking the palm of her hand against her forehead, Misao groaned. The girl was all bark and no bite; could she_ be_ any more of a goody two shoes? It was Halloween, a grayish egg carton was being held in front of her and they were sitting amongst cars: in anyone else's head, omelets would _not_ be assumption number one…

The silence that followed suit unnerved her. Kaoru was growing weary of the secrecy and of staring at an ugly egg carton waiting for it to do… something – maybe she had watched too many James Bond movies? Either way, the whole situation was rubbing her the wrong way and so, she did the only thing within her power to remedy it: she yanked hard on one of Misao's plaits.

"Ow!" Reclaiming possession of her own hair, the slender girl with big green eyes decided it was safest to spill the beans immediately or else she risked going bald. "We're going to egg Greenburg's Volvo."

"Oh. Well… _that's_ the most sensible thing I've heard all day."

Pushing herself off the car's hood, Kaoru strode over to where Kaz was standing – mouth agape –, picked up the egg carton lying in his outstretched hands and walked further into the parking lot.

"Wait!" Kaz shouted, turning to run after her. "This is only the beginning! We were assigned Greenburg's car, but we aren't the only group out there ready to… there are others inside the school and the main event… there are instructions! Kaoru!"

"Yeah Kaoru, there are instructions! This is a coordinated senior year team effort! Don't you wanna know more before you…?" Misao, who had also gone after the impetuous teen, trailed off mid-sentence and paused mid-step when she heard the definitive sound of an egg going 'splat' against a windshield.

"I guess you don't…" Misao mumbled to herself before shrugging and joining in on the fun.

* * *

Kaoru trudged along the sidewalk briskly. She was on a mission – one she was actually looking forward to – and nothing would stop her. Finally, being a senior and having to bend to the principal's whims was starting to pay off, especially since the two rolls of toilet paper in her hand had his name on them… or more like his house's number. Oh well, minor technicality!

That was the master coup Kaz had been talking about. All teachers were stuck late at school for some sort of meeting, giving the students a more than perfect opportunity to rebel against authority by pulling the ultimate Halloween prank, the prank to end _all_ pranks, in fact. It was a tradition for each senior class to try and outdo the prior one, in terms of pulling a massive stunt.

Basically, the whole thing consisted in using the faculty members' naivety against them: every single teacher at the meeting had, at some point or another, complained about the lack of school spirit that the student body possessed, about its apathy towards nearly every subject worthy of discussion on the face of the earth, about its inability to commit to a cause, about its incapability to set petty differences aside and organize itself in order to work communally towards a specific goal; it was as clear as day that the students had been misjudged and put down way too often. Now, they were hell bent on proving the adults that mercilessly pointed out their ineptitude and disregarded them wrong.

Synchronized egging of cars at the school parking lot had been the first assault.

Currently, a brave and more experienced group of rebels was busy vandalizing the classrooms with graffiti.

The Halloween dance that would soon get started was to be a battleground: cherry bombs, stink bombs, firecrackers and a truckload of weaponry – Cole Williams had put his pick-up truck at the disposal of that particular faction of their army – were being sneaked into the high school at the very moment.

Several teams of teenage operatives had been consigned rendezvous points and rolls upon rolls of toilet paper had been handed out. To avoid drawing suspicion, they were each to head out individually, act normal whilst making their way to the appointed location, regroup and attack.

It was a brilliant strategy and Kaoru knew that the night's dealings would be more than satisfactory. She also knew that detention or even possible suspension was a given, but that was a price that she, like the rest of her comrades, was willing to pay. Man, she couldn't wait to 'attack'! Hence, her haste and brisk pace.

So, all was going well for Kaoru: the green grass skirt didn't seem nearly as itchy, walking around in a bikini top didn't make her all that flustered anymore, wearing an orchid in her hair without actually being Hawaiian didn't feel as corny and the prospect of throwing toilet paper around in the principal's front yard made her ecstatic.

Yes, everything was just dandy… then a familiar voice she hadn't heard in days called her name and everything went to hell.

"Kaoru?"

Slowly, achingly so, the raven-haired girl spun on her heel, her blue eyes flashing, her heart pounding faster and faster.

"Aloha?"

At first he hadn't recognized her, but that determined, slightly jaunty walk of hers was unmistakable. Poking his head out the jeep's window, Kenshin's gaze traveled all the way from her sandal-clad feet, to her long skirt's waistband, up her navel, over her green and white floral-print bikini top and lei – can't blame a guy for looking –, beyond the tiny cleft on her chin to her chapped rosy lips, before resting and focusing on her smoky eyes…initially anyway. Soon enough, the two rolls of toilet paper clutched at her sides had his full attention.

"Are you...?" He asked, vaguely motioning towards her outfit and pointing at her weapons of choice. "And… is that…?"

Stomping towards the vehicle, Kaoru huffily crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes at the driver. What was he looking so shocked about, anyway? Was it or was it not Halloween? Didn't people wear costumes at that particular time of year? Didn't the stereotypical teenager go all out on pranks on the last day of October? True, stereotypical wasn't exactly _her_…

In any case, he was delaying her, duty called and the fact that her idiot heart was going at sixty miles per hour and somersaulting like a fucking Olympics gold medalist was enough to make a girl grumpy. Also, the fact that he hadn't called after their latest mini drama – apparently he wasn't too fond of that particular device known to mankind as a telephone – wasn't what one could consider a confidence booster.

"Yes Kenshin, I _am _wearing a horrible costume – don't ask! – and – that's right! –, this right here in both my hands _is_ toilet paper," she snapped.

Since he continued to peer on at her without uttering a word, barely concealed amusement dancing in his violet eyes, Kaoru was granted a moment to ponder how very ridiculous being dressed like a hula dancer while traipsing around town with toilet paper rolls in hand really was. Embarrassment that she had thought she had overcome hours prior to this fortuitous encounter crawled back into her system and warmed her cheeks.

"I know it's childish," she lamely explained, "but if you knew our school's principal, you would volunteer to TP his house as well."

In retrospect, explaining herself only made the whole thing sound way worse. It wouldn't surprise her, at this point, if he saw her as nothing more than a silly kid, patted her on the head and went on his merry way: could she be more immature if she tried? Really, egging cars??? How the mighty hath fallen…

"Your costume's not horrible," he, at long last, intervened, a small smile on his lips.

"Yes it is and it's all Misao's fault!" Kaoru purposefully griped, pouting as she looked down at her toes.

"Misao?" Kenshin questioned, unsure as to whom she was referring to.

"The best friend," she grumbled low, keeping her head down. "Describing her, though, will simply take too long and I know for a fact that we both don't have that kind of time; no one on Earth does."

"She's that great, hunh?"

"No, she just owes me that big."

They both timidly smiled at each other and Kaoru blushed. A brief silence followed as they found themselves out of conversation. Nevertheless, it wasn't as uncomfortable or awkward as it could have been, considering that the exchange – or lack thereof – was coming to pass at the side of the road.

Locking eyes with the schoolgirl he had actually been on his way to see, Kenshin unhurriedly slipped his hand out the window and, without breaking eye contact, gently repositioned the milky white orchid that had been falling out of Kaoru's dark tresses behind her ear, softly brushing his fingers against its alabaster petals and her cheekbone as he calmly pulled his arm away.

"So… how's Tomoe?" The flustered gal asked, after shyly looking away from his penetrating stare and taking a small step away from his jeep.

The attempt to distance herself from him – emotionally and physically – was not entirely lost on our favorite idiot, though he did choose to ignore what was staring him in the face rather quickly, mechanically answering the loaded question whose subtext, to anyone else, would have seemed much more than simply polite. Perhaps it was that he was a man accustomed to sweeping the undesirables of this life under the rug.

"She's… well. I'll tell her you asked about her."

Nodding dumbly and looking off to the side Kaoru wondered if maybe she shouldn't get going. For some foolish reason – namely that she happened to like the guy – she wanted to keep talking with him, but… things were different now, weren't they? She had met the woman she would have to live up to and she knew well enough within her heart that that just wasn't her and that she could never fill those elegant designer shoes. She liked her flawed self just fine, thank you very much, and her imperfection was at total opposites with Tomoe Yukishiro's apparent perfection. Besides, she didn't want to compete for anyone's attention; she just wasn't that kind of girl.

"Are things at her house less… however it is they were when we allegedly saved her?" She found herself asking, despite her thoughts of hitting the road.

Kenshin found himself smiling at her again. He knew that past discomfort over Tomoe's abrupt disruption had put Kaoru down and he was aware that, were he to be having this conversation with someone else, his ex-girlfriend would by no means be the topic of discussion. However, he wasn't talking with anyone else; he was talking with Kaoru, a kind selfless girl who could not for the life of her ignore a person in trouble.

Perhaps that was why, though dispirited and reluctant to stay and keep chatting, she opened her mouth and voiced her concern for a woman that she no doubt viewed as nothing short of a stranger: she was generous, and that was that.

"Far from it," he answered. "The Yukishiros are… an opinionated bunch, to say the least. Strong convictions tend to clash and it takes a while for the dust to settle."

"Sounds… scary," she confessed, scrunching up her nose.

"You have no idea," the redhead agreed with a chuckle.

"And I'm probably all the better for it, am I right?" Kaoru asked with a quirked eyebrow, subtly making fun of his secretive nature.

"Unless you like the thought of having Enishi put worms in your spaghetti and Mr. Yukishiro threaten you with decapitation if you so much as lay a finger on his only daughter, then yes."

Giggling, Kaoru imagined a stern man in a suit with broad shoulders dealing out death threats. That image was replaced by an even more menacing one of _The Godfather_, which did nothing but make her laugh harder once she pictured Kenshin, of all people, defending his love for Tomoe right there, in front of Don Corleone. But, in truth, what had her nearly rolling on the floor, laughing uncontrollably, was the very idea of Kenshin facing _her_ father. No doubt the situation would be quite similar… and if it were to happen for real, she was sure that she would laugh her head off right then and there too!

"Mr. Yukishiro sounds like my father," she stated once she had calmed down a bit. "Of course, for some reason, archaic terms like 'defile' and words like 'body' and 'river' would be part of his speech. Poor Kaz never recuperated from that, even when I told him he was in the clear and that dad had finally gotten it through his thick skull that we were just friends…"

"Your father certainly sounds like someone I can't wait but meet," Kenshin intoned sarcastically.

"You know, maybe if you sounded more enthused, I'd buy it."

"You look gullible enough."

Oh no. No, no, no. Did foot-in-mouth syndrome have no cure? Because, frankly, calling Kaoru gullible – of all things – was like begging for double double toil and trouble… as an appetizer.

"Okay, I'll bite," she drawled out. Gnawing at her bottom lip, her mouth broke into a mischievous grin as she twirled her lei round the index finger of her empty hand, both rolls of paper now tucked in the crook of her elbow. "Let's say I'm _that_ gullible. Let's say I'm made of sugar and spice and everything nice. Since I believe your statement to be true, then how about this: I cordially invite you to my house, to meet _my_ dad, whenever you feel up to it; deal?"

"Are you challenging me?" Kenshin asked scornfully – well, as scornfully as a man who revered Gandhi and the Dalai Lama could voice anything. After having survived Oibore Yukishiro, handling Mr. Kamiya would be a piece of cake.

"Are you chicken?" Kaoru retorted.

"Am I supposed to fall for that?"

"Only after I start clucking."

After giving it some thought, Kenshin decided that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. It would give him an excuse to be around Kaoru for a couple of hours, if nothing else.

"Tell you what," he said, "I have something that belongs to you in the backseat and I was planning to stop by your house to return it before running into you. In light of the circumstances though, maybe you would like to run this 'meeting' by your father first, set a date and let me know. I'll give you the dry cleaning then."

"Dry cleaning? I'm intrigued," Kaoru admitted to her curiosity. Shrugging, though, she thought it best to get back on track before Kenshin wussed out on her. "Actually, tonight's fine since my parents are hosting a Halloween get-together. So… you in?"

"Are you really going to TP the principal's house?"

"Don't change the subject," she said, patting the car's hood and walking away, her long hair bouncing about her. "Just be there at 10:00."

"Are you setting me up?" Kenshin inquired loudly after her retreating form.

Pointedly raising an eyebrow at the college student, the young girl in a hula dancer costume spun around and smirked. "Anyone ever tell you that you ask too many questions _Kenny_? Ten o'clock, okay? Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a townhouse whose front yard needs to be vandalized and I'm running late."

"Kaoru, I have to say, I never took you for a prankster."

"Just goes to show! You're not the only one who can keep secrets," she vociferously threw over her shoulder, slowly slipping away into the warm October night ridden with strange creatures and anarchic teenagers looking to stir a cauldron of chaos.

Disappearing from sight round the corner, the full moon cast a pale blue sheen on her body and her shadow bounced off a nearby wall. Then, the streets were full of people, of lights, of excitement, of muffled laughter and all kinds of scents. The world kept on spinning after she was gone.

It was only when she was around that, somehow, everything else ceased to exist; people faded away, the bright lights dimmed and her voice and laughter drowned out all other sounds. It was that when she was near, she managed to fill up everything.

Sometimes, without her even knowing, Kaoru achieved the impossible: she became everything.

* * *

Lushly landscaped with almond trees and shrubbery, the mint green townhouse stood tall and proud, various jack-o-lanterns distributed on its wide front porch. The principal's house was, in fact, picture perfect.

All the lights were out and not a sound was heard coming from within the beautiful albeit pastoral structure; in a way, it was as if the house itself were asking for it.

Not ones to disappoint, soon enough, as if on cue, a horde of seniors rushed onto the tranquil scene. As rolls of toilet paper began flying through the air, each and every single student was hit with the delightful notion that they would be the ones responsible for turning the principal's conceited smile upside down.

The sense of fulfillment, unity and excitement buzzing all around the area quickly escalated to an undiluted collective state of euphoria and so, in no time, all the trees, the perfectly manicured lawn and the rooftop were covered in a gauzy white blanket.

Trodden and sullied, the wisps of white covering the deep green grass were suddenly streaked orange as rows of pumpkins smashed down against the earth, dozens of hands frenziedly thrusting the rounded fruit onto the ground.

From an aerial viewpoint, Principal Hart's front lawn resembled a modern art masterpiece, something only a brilliant, alcoholic, tortured artist like Jackson Pollock could have ever pulled off.

Smashed pumpkins season was, undoubtedly, a magical time of year, and, turning on the hose, spraying the toilet paper and making sure that it was soggy enough to dry up in clumps harder to dispose of, only made it that much more special.

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_Reviewer Responses:_

**To De Lazy Lime: **I was very happy to hear – read, but that's beside the point – that you liked the Gardener/Gardenia part of the last chapter; I wrote that a really long time ago when sudden inspiration took me completely by surprise. It is true, for most writers, the act of writing in itself can be great therapy, especially since the author gets to pick the ending and life doesn't just impose it. However, living the lie – as opposed to simply making do with what is actually there – can be quite painful. That is why, in my opinion, writing is such a paradox: one may build worlds and construct sentences through an oftentimes self-destructive act. Thank you for reviewing and have a happy new year!

**To Misato-Katsuragi2: **Misao appears quite often in this chapter but, unfortunately, Aoshi was not a part of it. Maybe next chapter, but I can't make any promises since I really can't picture him being all for attending a Halloween bash at Kaoru's. It simply wouldn't be very believable. I hope that, despite the lack of M&A interaction, this installment was to your liking – it took way too long to write! Well, Season's Greetings and until next time! Happy 2005!

**To VanyD: **Sorry for the lack of Sano in this chapter – I miss him too! – but, never fear, he will be back next chapter! As for Kenshin… what did you think of his reintroduction to the story? Was it everything you hoped for? I'll be sure to read more of your story when I have the time; I might be going to Argentina for a couple of weeks in January though, so I can't guarantee anything just yet. However, I reiterate that you have a nice plot on your hands and that your writing ideas seem quite interesting – your portrayal of Megumi still has me slightly mystified. Happy holidays! Bye!

**To Vic'chonn: **Shishio is definitely going to be a catalyst; as to that, there is no question. Kenshin _is_ a coward, isn't he? Though, in his defense, when people behave as he does, they usually have good reason, especially since he's not afraid of dangerous situations like, say… throwing himself in front of a car to save somebody! His fear of intimacy – for that is what it is – must then, surely, be justified, correct? Just a little something for you to chew on… I'm thrilled that you like the play! I wasn't too sure that people were going to be pleased since it might feel to some as if I'm taking away from the focal point of the story – though, in fact, it's simply a more poetic approach to it. The truth is that it is said that every different flower symbolizes something; gardenias just so happen to represent unspoken love! When I found that out, the idea for the play's first act rapidly formed in my mind. I profusely apologize for, yet again, leaving the M/A situation at a standstill; I know I must be driving you up the wall with the way I keep putting it off. You are right about one thing though… something is going to happen with Aoshi. As for your suspicions regarding Soujiro… stay tuned for next chapter; some answers will finally be brought to light. I don't intend on shooting you, though if you keep putting yourself down with little comments like 'as if anyone cares if I had died' I might just hand the gun right over to you. Seriously, don't do that, you're probably worth far much more than you let on. Kisses, merry New Year and take care of yourself, alright? Bye now!

**To --- : **I'm glad that chapter 20 helped bring a smile to your face; I hope this one does the same. The Yahiko/Tsubame side story is too sweet and funny to not invest some time in it. Glad you liked the story and have a peaceful New Year!

**To pyramidgirl89: **I'm not sure if I am going to write a whole play for this story yet. I'll let you know when I decide. Have a great New Year!

**To Ri-nee-chan: **If you can put up with my tardiness updating, then I can most certainly forgive you for your late reviews! Kaoru's play is, as of now, something that you will get glimpses of once in while; the truth is that, though this story is a K/K, it is quite Kaoru-centric, meaning that the play is something that deals with her personal growth so there are bound to be tidbits of it splayed throughout the pages of this story. I'm not sure that I will be using all Juppon Gatana characters. I know you were looking forward to the return of our beloved idiot redhead; I hope I didn't disappoint. Next chapter there will be plenty of him to go around! Happy New Year darling!!! Until the next update!

**To Rabid Turtle: **Wow! Your review kind of flustered me up – 'kind of' doesn't even cover it but allow me to save face, okay? Me, a genius? I know at least fifty people who would beg to differ (me included). Umm… I don't think it would be very wise to go around verbally attacking guys, though, if you find the right one to verbally abuse, it _can_ be pretty fun! You are right, I put a lot of time into this; some people could even argue that I put_ too_ much time into it. I can't help it though: you're addicted to reading it; I'm addicted to writing it! The only problem with the time input and my unhealthy perfectionist streak is that updating can sometimes – who am I kidding? Oftentimes is more like it! – take pretty long and, for that, I apologize in advance. Joni Mitchell is most definitely a talented artist and, if the opportunity presents itself for me to make reference to her again, I won't hesitate to use it! References, to me, are highly important because due credit must be given wherever credit is due. When writing a story, one is more often than not inspired by every tiny little thing that surrounds us: one day I'm listening to a song and I start mapping out a chapter; I'm reading a poem or a book and the words hit me full force and I realize that that is what my characters should be living through or what they are probably feeling in a certain scene. Furthermore, writing is as much an inner as an outer experience: the writer takes from the outside and internally transforms all experiences and emotions before regurgitating them back outside again, new and changed. I too am a big fan of the K/K chemistry; though Tomoe helped Kenshin, theirs is always a love that hurts more than it heals. I feel as if I must clear up something: I did not say that Shishio does not love Ayumi, I just think that in the grand scale of things the very emotion, the idea of LOVE, is not something he gives much value to because he feels it weakens him. What is Kenhin's strength – his ability to love and feel compassion for others – is viewed by Shishio as a weakness. All in all, it's okay, it's only a divergence of opinions and those are always good; I'm all for people disagreeing with me, the world would be a very boring place if everyone felt the same about everything. I can't believe I got someone into fanfiction; that is truly priceless information. I'm happy to hear that I had some sway in that, it's not every day that one hears something like that. Well, I'll stop now, though I could keep this up forever! Review again sometime and here's to hoping you have a wonderful 2005! Enjoy life to the fullest and may you find a boy to bicker with and love in the upcoming year! Bye!

**To Rhapsody07: **I'm glad Megg is fully aware of the mass-media problems, at least that way she will know what she's getting herself into. Your mother has a point: money is a good thing, after all. Too bad we artists just don't seem to be all that interested in making millions if it means sacrificing our passion and dreams… Don't go with the flow, but have a backup plan. Journalism is my safety net, even if I do intend to become a published author and write heartfelt books. Have a great New Year!

**To missaw: **As far as movies go, I haven't been to the cinema in a while… it actually makes me feel kind of sad. Problem is, I was too overworked by the end of the semester. Good news is I might be going to Argentina for a week or two on vacation, though; I sorely need a change of scenery, at least for a couple of days. No Aoshi/Misao this chapter and as far as the next goes, I don't know if I will be able to cram a bit of their dysfunctional look/look away relationship in, though Misao will most definitely be making an appearance, that I can guarantee. In spite of that, though, how did you feel about the K/K scene in this installment? Any tips? Thank you very much for digging the play – I was afraid not many would enjoy it. Season' Greetings and happy 2005!

**To Ocean Fish: **Happy New Year Pookie! Isn't it great? It's a new year and there is still a great deal of this story to go, not to say that you remain my most faithful reviewer yet! I hope you manage to update one of your stories soon but I know it takes time sometimes – I ought to know, it's been around four moths since I last updated. I am very happy to have you always stick by me; through thick or thin you are always there and I feel blessed to be able to start a New Year with you around. I wish only the best for you in 2005! Thank you for being you! How doth the majoring in history fair? How are well deserved vacations treating you? Tell me everything Pookie! I'm always here! Kisses and hugs to you and streamers and balloons too!

* * *

**If I happened to forget anyone, I apologize profusely but I am ****short**** on ****time**** preparing for the New Year's Eve festivities. I wish you all a fantastic 2005. I feel blessed to have the support of each and every one of you; it is a true privilege. Season's Greetings and this is me, saying, till next time! **

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	22. Sub Rosa

_STANDARD__ DISCLAIMERS APPLY:_ Ownership is so overrated anyways…

**Quick little message from author: **I apologize for the long delay but… yes, it's all my fault! I mean, how do I get myself into such strange situations? I finally ditch one writer's block only to fall knee-deep in another! I'll tell you something, though, it 'aint anywhere near pleasant. Moving along… has anyone ever considered how hard it must be to be Tomoe Yukishiro? Well, even if I don't really like her, I have been thinking about it and, all I can say is that, walking in her shoes is probably not all it's cracked up to be: being viewed as perfect 24/7 can land anyone straight on a psychoanalyst's couch. The secrets of her past… they also don't do much for comfort. Being Aoshi-Lama must be no picnic either; perennial quests for enlightenment must suck… especially if you're not actually on one but everyone seems to think that that's the only worthy excuse as to why you are broody and anal. I bet that takes the Zen right out of anyone… except, maybe, Aoshi. Oh, and please don't anyone get me started on how lame it must be to actually _be_ Kenshin Himura, a guy so un-cool that his mind can go on a vinic tangent at the most awkward of times… But, if you don't get what I'm rambling on about, I suggest you read this chapter and see if it clears up a thing or two… or makes you add a question or two to the already long list. As usual, I deny everything since it's the characters that end up writing themselves. Enjoy.

**Soundtrack: **_Part 1:_ "Falling away with you" – Muse; _Part 2:_ "Walking on the Sun" – Smashmouth; _Part 3:_ "There there (The Boney King of Nowhere) – Radiohead; _Part 4:_ "We've been had" – The Walkmen; _Part 5:_ "Big Blue Sea (acoustic version)" – Bob Schneider, "I've got you babe" – Sonny and Cher; _Part 6: _"Amie" – Damien Rice; _Part 7:_ "Science Vs. Romance" – Rilo Kiley.

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**Chapter 22: Sub ****Rosa**

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Realizing that you might have feelings for someone is kind of like looking through an airplane window: no matter how real you know the clouds to be, they always seem fake and akin to a childhood fantasy.

There's always something compelling us to deny the truth, to underestimate the strength of our emotions, to consider the fluffy, cotton-like clouds, fixedly suspended in the pale blue heavens, too far from reach. We always seek to, above all else, save face.

As a little girl standing on a ladder, I held my arms out to the night sky, hoping to catch the stars in my outstretched hands.

As a young girl on the verge of adulthood, I gazed into a pair of sparkling violet eyes, hoping to read my future in the dark pupils cutting through me.

Once I began growing up, I stopped climbing up ladders, learned the difference between stratosphere and mesosphere and came to grips with the fact that gas wasn't tangible and that I was but a slave to gravity.

Once I managed to grab a hold of myself, I remembered fairytales aren't real, that no one can accurately predict my future and that if I got carried away with feelings I couldn't even put a name to, I would only make an ass of myself.

But, like I said, realizing you might harbor feelings for someone beyond the shallow end of the pool is pretty similar to looking out an airplane window: the plane's wing unexpectedly cuts through a hovering tuft of a cloud and all sense of reality crashes down.

The blue fades, beyond the small rounded peephole to the skies everything is white, you find yourself flying in the middle of nowhere and all the wonder that accompanies discovering the littlest of things, the childlike awe we are conditioned to suppress, resurfaces.

Shaky fingers press hesitantly against the small transparent window to what seems like another world, wanting to touch the sky, your mind knowing full well that you are encased in the very same unreachable cloud you had stopped believing in years ago.

Denying is one thing; ignoring is another.

Sometimes, I am fine, I am acceptant, I am blissfully in denial; then a cloud traps me within its misty whiteness and the truth slowly, almost gently, unravels and makes itself heard. The six year old in me rejoices, lost innocence once again fondly cradling in its heart the illusion of being able to hang on to a shooting star's tail of light.

Then, the plane lands, its wheels grating smoothly and speedily against the ground and you keep your seatbelt buckled tight and you feel terrible pressure in your ears and your stomach does a thousand flip-flops and your head pounds as if Lars Ulrich had mistaken it for a drum kit and your nostrils flare and… suddenly, all is still. And the truth remains. And it won't hide any longer. And it's terrifying. And until you can figure out what it all may come to mean, it stays secret.

For the most part, affairs of the heart are handled "Sub Rosa". Under the sign of the rose, we are all afforded the chance to save face, to protect others and ourselves from the one thing with the potential to change everything: the truth.

* * *

"Where's my tool belt?"

Steeping out of the shower, Kenshin heard Sano's muffled voice through the bathroom door. Shrugging, he headed for the sink and picked up a brown hairbrush lying on the marble countertop.

"Probably next to my headpiece, Sano."

Raking the brush though his wet hair, Kenshin realized that Megumi was also in his bedroom. He hoped the couple had no plans to fight this evening, because he really wasn't in the mood. Besides, he was short on time and having to clean up the mess they were bound to leave in the wake of one of their fall outs would only sidetrack him.

"Are you wearing red pumps?"

Frowning at the mirror, Kenshin considered the strangeness of Sano's last statement; it wasn't like him at all to notice what his girlfriend was wearing, let alone comment on it. In fact, one of the main reasons the pair fought so much was Sano's typical male behavior regarding haircuts, new earrings, highlights and lost weight: all these things simply flew below the radar.

"And here I thought you were colorblind. Do you like the shoes, Sanosuke?"

Tugging a pristine white towel off the rack, Kenshin thought to himself that Megumi's voice sounded unusually sultry. Maybe he was just imagining things.

"You bet your sweet ass I do, baby!"

Shaking his head at his own reflection, Kenshin snorted. Sano was always way too crass and the fact that he was acting so overly enthusiastic over a pair of shoes was pathetic enough to make one wonder if he was trying to score points with his other half after yet another disagreement. That much was, come to think of it, quite plausible.

"Tell me, you shirtless Neanderthal, what else do you like?"

Suppressing a shudder, Kenshin reached over the toilet seat and plugged in the blow-dryer. Those two had the most bizarre mating ritual known to mankind. Wait… did she just say shirtless?

"You wanna know, do you, you naughty woman? Well… I like this button… and this button… and this…"

Sputtering, Kenshin quickly readjusted the towel wrapped round his waist and stormed into his room.

"Would you mind doing… _that_… somewhere else, _please_?" He whined, belatedly covering his abused eyes with his hand.

What he had just seen looked like something straight out of a porn flick, even if both Sano and Megumi were still somewhat clothed. Sano, a yellow construction hat atop his head, was straddling Megumi, who was wearing a nurse uniform meant to only properly fit a ten year old, her hands running down the jean clad man's bare chest.

Heaving a sigh as heavy as a whole encyclopedia collection, Sanosuke buried his head in the crook of his beloved's neck while she redid the first two buttons of her skimpy satin outfit. Turning over and releasing Megumi from his hold, the brown-haired and currently _very _frustrated young man threw a meaningful glare at his roommate.

"Kenshin, man, you _so_ need to get laid."

Sitting up on the large bed, Megumi slapped away her boyfriend's arm. "Must you always be such a pig?"

Blinking dumbly, the brunet stared at her as if the answer to her question were the most obvious thing in the world. "Yes."

"What is it that I see in you?" She wondered aloud, looking up to the ceiling pleadingly.

"Big hands?" He ventured, quirking his eyebrows comically.

The cold, cold glare she shot him let him know that, sadly enough, not even his construction worker costume would do it for her tonight. Oh well, he still had a few hours and a few drinks to his advantage; Rooney's party and Megumi's weird fixation with martinis might just turn out to be his saving grace.

"I am running late," Kenshin uttered crisply. "Unless either of you need something, I'd prefer to get dressed without an audience."

Both Megumi and Sano resorted to sporting confused expressions on their faces. What their friend had said was perfectly understandable and normal, if not somewhat rude. True, they more than deserved getting indecorously kicked out of the room; the only problem was that… Kenshin wasn't impolite… ever. Something was up.

"Well… Kenny dear, we…" Megumi hesitantly began to explain before trailing off.

"There's a Halloween bash at Rooney's tonight," Sano continued, eyeing the redhead curiously as he slammed one of his drawers shut.

"Sanosuke and I thought you might like to join us." Since Kenshin remained silent and carried on almost angrily searching for a missing something, the comforting hand tracing circles on the small of her back was very much appreciated. Just what exactly was going on? Did Kenshin secretly do drugs?

Suddenly, after hopping around the room like a bunny on crack for what felt like a lifetime, pulling handfuls of ties from the tie rack, putting them back, opening and closing shoeboxes and slamming drawer after drawer after drawer, Kenshin flopped down on the bed and sighed.

"I'm too old for this shit."

Alarm bells blaring in Megumi's head, she quickly turned around, crawled to the limp form on the bed and placed her hand on his forehead. "I'd say you don't have a fever, Kenny, and your pupils seem fine. What's wrong?"

"I'm meeting the proud parents of a teenage girl," he admitted sheepishly.

Sano was, of course, unable to suppress his laughter upon hearing the cause of such erratic behavior. "Robbing the cradle's a bitch, ain't it pal?"

There went Megumi, hitting his arm again; what was her fucking problem anyway? Sure, Kenshin wasn't that old, but Kaoru wasn't even legal. He had no qualms with the idea of those two getting together – the age difference really wasn't that big –, but an opportunity to crack a joke, in his opinion, should never go to waste. Damn conservative girlfriend…

"Oh Kenny, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about," the tall female said reassuringly. "She's too virginal and inexperienced to try anything and you… you were practically married and are bashful by nature so, it's not as if you're about to defile the girl, much less make the first move and kiss her. I'm sure her parents will be made quite aware tonight of just how boring and shy you two are and leave you be."

In all his life, Sanosuke had never seen his best friend's face go quite so red. Whether it was out of anger or embarrassment, he would never know. The only thing he would forever be certain of, though, was that he loved his girlfriend oh so very much.

* * *

From his bedroom window, he looked down, knowing that he had bigger fish to fry and absolutely no time to waste on silly love songs. That didn't stop his eyes from straying. His eyes were always seeing what he wasn't meant to gaze upon, what he had no time to contemplate.

Beyond his bedroom door, dreaming was nary an option, much less a choice; there was no place for dreaming in no-man's land, there were only bills to pay and shattered illusions gathering dust on a mantelpiece.

She was still beautiful, but broken. He didn't know what to do, how to remedy things, how to vanquish the invincible enemy that had taken over every corner of their home and more often than not set her against him, against herself.

He was fighting a losing battle, he was steering a sinking ship and, despite the plane suddenly nose-diving, he kept a straight face. If not for his strength, where would she be? If not for his inability to admit to failure, where would _he _be?

There she was, as lively as ever. Then there she was, as lost and scared as an abandoned child. His life had become a game of hide-and-seek wherein she always sought refuge by the rose bush. He had always hated games.

And, entirely unasked for, was the kicker. So many times, his eyes strayed. This she could never know. He had no time for her. He had no time for himself.

He had problems to solve, another life to care for, a future filled with hardships to consider. His heart could wait. His heart would have to wait.

Once again, his eyes strayed and, this time, like so many others, he caught a smile on her face. Sailing through her house's front lawn, she seemed genuinely happy. Her happiness, however, was not to be any of his concern. His concerns had little to do but lie elsewhere.

Turning his back on the window, the corners of Aoshi's lips lifted slightly, the memory of her smile tugging at his heart, before he went back to doing what he did best: ignoring what was there and that, despite his efforts, his eyes somehow always managed to stray.

* * *

Stealthily creeping in through the backdoor, Kaoru hoped to go unnoticed by her parents: fat chance!

"I always thought it was the carriage and not Cinderella that turned into a pumpkin."

Groaning, the teenage girl covered in orange goo, from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes, peeled her eyes off the kitchen floor and settled for giving her mother a helpless look.

"Trust me mom, the interior of Casey's car is equally icky and orange."

"Sounds like the 70s' all over again!" Kazuko Kamiya exclaimed, wiping her hands on her kitsch pink and yellow plaid apron.

"You certainly look the part," the girl uttered sardonically once the apron had come off and the whole of her mother's costume was revealed. "You… you didn't try cooking anything, did you?"

"Flan." Kazuko pointed a finger at a mahogany hued blob of char set to decompose in the kitchen sink. "It was a flop."

The silence reigning in the kitchen confused the short cyan-eyed woman, the buzzing of the fridge proving to be of little comfort. Usually, her daughter would be mocking her for yet another gastronomical failure on her part, not keeping quiet as she had been lectured to do since she had developed the ability to form semi-coherent sentences. Obedience was not Kaoru's finest point and the girl's honesty was known to be razor-sharp: this led the photojournalist to twist her hands together in worry, a bad nervous habit that her daughter had inherited.

"What?"

After a long drawn-out sigh, Kaoru shook her head, unable to believe her mother couldn't even guess what was bothering her. "I never thought I'd say this but… mom, I don't think you're wearing enough sequins. Or fabric, for that matter."

Looking down at her bare midriff, Mrs. Kamiya got the drift. "What's the matter sweetie? Can't handle your mother showing a bit of skin?"

"I couldn't even be graced with normal parents, could I?" Avoiding her mother's teasing smile, Kaoru gave her own bellybutton a look-see. "Personally, I think there has been enough navel action from the Kamiyas for the day."

"I see Misao finally wheedled you into acting your age," Mrs. Kamiya said, punctuating her words with a good-natured chuckle.

"I wonder if I could coax you into doing the same."

Though the insinuation was not entirely lost on the woman in her early forties, she was too enamored with her shiny red outfit and long, sleek wig to care.

"Now that we're done here and you've had your fun young lady, I presume I won't have to convince you to go shower, will I?"

"Well, I figured I could just go around hugging people in rented costumes as per Halloween tradition, but if you insist…"

Rolling her eyes, Kazuko Kamiya had to wonder just why exactly God had decided to bless her daughter with such a quick tongue; it made her feel as if she were atoning for something. As to what that 'something' was, she never could say.

"Make it a quick shower: we have guests."

"Which reminds me…" Kaoru trailed off, clutching onto one of the double door's doorknobs, desperately trying to hide her blush. "I have a guest coming over myself."

"Oh please, Kaoru; Misao is family!"

"More like a bad rash that won't go away, if you ask me," she muttered, walking away from the double doors and folding her arms.

"Don't speak ill of others when they're not around to defend themselves, sweetie."

With her back turned to the room's only 'emergency' exit – a threshold she planned to cross in a hurry very soon –, Kaoru failed to see her father step into the kitchen.

"Fine, fine, no more badmouthing for me," the teen remarked in a suspiciously placating manner. "Anyway, I wasn't talking about Misao – I have more than one friend, you know. I sort of invited someone over and… you're right mom, I should hurry up and shower real quick, otherwise… he'll get here and you will open the door…wearing _that_. I'll be doomed to perpetual embarrassment."

As she turned around, Koshijirou Kamiya's stern eyes caught the blush on his only child's flustered face – the one his wife had yet to take notice of as she was far too busy staring at her own reflection in a frying pan – and steeled himself for what was to come. His baby girl had invited the enemy over for their sacred annual Halloween gathering, which meant, unfortunately enough, that his little girl cared. He didn't like the thought of his spirited, yet naïve daughter, caring, not one bit. The secret smile she innocently wore on her lips and her nervous stammering when she tried to pass off the 'he' she smoothly slipped into her explanation as nothing, spelled trouble. There came a time in every father's life, when preparing for trouble and the taking of arms was necessary. It was the dreaded day that Mr. Kamiya, like any other red-blooded, loving parent, had hoped would never come.

"And just _who_ is this guest you speak of?"

His rough, commanding voice, though laced with a hint of amusement, imposed itself and demanded answers; too bad that his attire didn't quite instill fear in the hearts of evasive, manipulative teenage girls.

"I'm sure Vegas could use more people like you dad," Kaoru blurted out. Laughter was swift to follow and, for the life of her, though she tried, she couldn't quite catch her breath and put on a straight face; it was simply far too funny!

As for her father, he wasn't exactly what one could call amused; 'irked', on the other hand, fit him like a glove, his narrowed dark eyes boring into the back of his wife's head.

"At least you're not – hic! – wearing tights this year, am I right?" Kaoru's voice was shaky and a hiccup cut her off once. For some reason, her index finger wouldn't stop pointing at him, not even when she wrapped her arm around her belly and doubled over, a new wave of laughter keeping her from standing upright.

"I blame your mother," Mr. Kamiya, growled. Folding his arms over his chest and glaring at his oblivious better half, he was the exact male and far older replica of an annoyed Kaoru.

He wasn't the type to get a kick out of being a laughingstock but, thanks to his lovely 'wifey', all he had done throughout the course of the evening was lighten up people's moods… which was just a clever, euphemistic way of putting things.

Looking up from the stove, Mrs. Kamiya donned the ugly apron once more and gave her hubby a confused look. "Hmm? So you _did_ want to wear tights after you talked my ear off last year? Men!" Poking at the crab canapés frying in the pan with a plastic fork, she sighed absently. "I suppose that, in spite of your indecisiveness, Koshijirou, something can be arranged for next Halloween."

The poor man deadpanned. The already hysterical girl only laughed harder. The spacey woman continued unawares, cramming a tray of mini-quiches into the microwave oven.

"Dad does_ so_ love his Elizabethan garbs," Kaoru uttered, snickering when her flighty mother nodded her acquiescence while dipping a carrot stick into a bowl and promptly feeding it to her shocked husband.

"What do you say?" Kazuko asked her spouse. With her hands on her hips and question marks in her eyes, she patiently awaited the final verdict on the dip she had ordered from an expensive caterer.

After swallowing, Mr. Kamiya remained ponderously silent, tweaking his mustache pensively: the female conspiracy at his house was getting old. "I say that it's always two against one and that we should still have tried for a boy!"

"Yes dear, but I was talking about the dip. So… what do you say?"

Was it just Kaoru, or was her father turning purple? In any case, he was distracted enough at the moment and she should be counting her blessings; nay, she should be getting gone before he sprung a whole questionnaire on her regarding her, luckily, still anonymous guest! Sure, his gender had already been disclosed but, on the off chance that daddy dearest hadn't noticed or hadn't as of yet had the time to process the information, now was definitely the time to take her leave.

"Well, I've had my fun! Now, it's off to hit the shower!"

Mr. Kamiya opened his mouth to protest because he knew all to well just what his sneaky daughter was up to but, to his misfortune, Mrs. Kamiya chose exactly that moment to make him taste another fantabulous appetizer. Needles to say that a glob of herb cheese attached itself to his graying mustache and that he very nearly chocked to death on the cucumber tartlet she forced on him.

"So… what do you say?"

"I say we've been had!" He yelled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and nodding towards the kitchen double doors.

"No dear, _you've_ been had." Dabbing a napkin against his upper lip, Mrs. Kamiya smirked as wide as Sylvester does when he happens to cage Tweety behind his teeth now and again, and said nothing more. However, since her sweet but terribly naïve husband remained puzzled, she decided to enlighten him. "I had an overbearing father too, remember?"

With a snort and a scowl, Koshijirou Kamiya pulled away from his tricky wife and looked off to the side, intent on ignoring her for a while and, though he'd never admit to it, sulking for just as long too. It sounded like a plan… that is until his eyes landed on the frying pan and his nose suddenly caught the smell of burnt plastic.

"You may be wily Kazuko, but you sure 'aint gifted. When will you learn that plastic forks and warm cooking oil don't mix, hunh?"

* * *

Straightening the collar of his magenta polo shirt, Kenshin readied himself to ring the doorbell. The gate had been open, which presupposed that the homeowners were expecting guests – the loud music gave away the party that was most likely in full swing inside the house – but the front door was closed. It was a good thing too, because it gave him a last minute chance to back out, not that he was chicken or anything…

_"This girl… she has __me__ reverting to first __grade__ psychology, for Christ's sake!" _

Looking down at his wristwatch, Kenshin congratulated himself on being punctual. It had taken him a while to find a place that was open and sold flowers at this time of night, but he refused to meet her parents empty-handed – a clear violation of etiquette #101 – and he didn't find it quite appropriate to show up with a bottle of Merlot; her father might have appreciated the gesture, if it weren't for the fact that the man's daughter was not yet twenty-one and he… he quite liked Merlot and would take a glass of it over a good old Budweiser any day. Though, if he could have his pick, he would have to say that he was more of a Pinot Noir kind of guy: those slight notes of ground pepper and chocolate, as opposed to the faintly sweeter hints of raspberry in some Merlots were just… opinions that he should keep to himself in the presence of a certain seventeen year old girl's dad.

_"What the hell __are__ you doing Kenshin Himura? There could not be anything more wrong with this scenario if Hiko Seijirou himself had staged it!" _

Ridding his head of such thoughts – or at the very least trying to – Kenshin smothered down the loud, protesting inner voices and rang the doorbell. Then, he proceeded to wait… and wait… and wait… and wait. Sighing, he reached over to ring the doorbell again when the door swung open. As for the sight that greeted him… there just weren't enough words.

_"Cue the Sonny and __Cher__ music, if you please!"_

"I told you I wasn't willing to discuss this anymore."

"And I think it's important that we discuss this!"

"Oh, so _now_ it's important! How come it's only important whenever _you_ say so? How come it only _feels_ important whenever it's about_ you_!"

"Don't go putting words in my mouth!"

Bewildered, Kenshin openly stared at the couple arguing at the front door: who were these people?

"It's not like you have to openly declare you have an ego the size of Australia! I'm your wife; trust me, I know what you meant!"

"Exactly, you're my _wife_, not Madame Mystique! You're not a mind reader and I'm tired of you presuming to know what it is that I mean or do not mean regarding this or that!"

Okay, so even if it was Halloween and they weren't really Sonny and Cher, but rather just two regular people dressed up as the aforementioned 70's pop icons, it still seemed a little unnatural for a would-be Cher to be tearing into a would-be Sonny. Heck, they were the happy "I got you babe" duo, not an older version of Sano and Megumi with enough red sequins to sponsor Carnival in Rio!

The man's red vest really was awfully shiny and, combined with the broad bow-tie round his neck and those horrible black tuxedo pants, he truly looked like a card-dealer from a glitzy casino.

"So, in your opinion, a person who has been married for over twenty years couldn't possibly begin to have an inkling as to how their partner's mind operates? That's what you're saying, isn't it!"

"There you go again, Kazuko! Would you stop putting words in my mouth!"

"Umm… excuse me?" As Kenshin figured it, what was going on between those two was none of his business; however, the twosome was standing in his way and, unless they moved off to the side a little and let him through, he couldn't get inside. "Would you mind…"

"I don't have to, Koshijirou!" The Cher look-alike shrieked, rapidly batting her fake eyelashes. "I don't _need _to lie to make you look bad; the things you say and the way you say things far surpass anything I could come up with!"

"Excuse me, but…" Kenshin was quickly growing tired of the charade. He had parents to meet and no time to waste on bickering married couples!

"Oh! So, you mean to tell me that the reason I end up wearing a ridiculous costume year, after year, after year is…me! Do you think I like looking bad? You don't need to blatantly lie; your manipulations work just fine!"

"Koshijirou Kamiya, I cannot believe that you would go there!"

_"Kamiya? As in 'Kaoru Kamiya'? __These __are__ Kaoru's parents? Well... no wonder…"_

An interjection or two had not gotten their attention, but resounding laughter made them both whip their heads in the direction of a red-haired boy in khakis.

"Who are you, kid?" Mr. Kamiya inquired rudely.

"A thousand apologies," Kenshin said, suppressing his sudden eagerness to keep on laughing. "I am Kenshin Himura."

"And?" Mr. Kamiya spoke, after a beat of awkward silence.

"I am a… uh… friend of Kaoru's," Kenshin offered, extending the yellow rose bouquet to Mrs. Kamiya, who cooed and cheerfully accepted the flowers. He recognized in her Kaoru's sunny smile.

"I'll go put these in water," Mrs. Kamiya said, rushing off with that pleasant smile still lighting her face.

Being left behind with Kaoru's father was certainly no picnic. Under the scrutiny of Koshijirou Kamiya's gaze, Kenshin suddenly felt very small. He had already introduced himself but, for reasons unknown, he was still 'out in the cold', sort of speak.

_"Reasons unknown?__ If __looks__ could kill, this man would have already turned __me__ to ashes, dust and a heap of broken bones!"_

"Umm…"

"…."

"So…"

"…."

_"Okay, so he's not a talker; Kaoru must get that from her mother."_

Going the extra mile, the affable young man fished for an opener that would finally break the ice between them. "So… how about them Yankees?"

"Don't you mean Red Sox?"

Sadly, affable just wasn't going to cut it.

* * *

Red. Soft. Fragrant. Delicate.

Red. Soft. Fragrant. Fragile.

Red. Soft. Fragrant. Ephemeral.

Red, like blood. Soft, like Egyptian cotton or Indian silk. Fragrant, like all flowers. Deceitful, like all living things.

Made of the deepest, richest red, the smooth petal trapped between her fingers never stood a chance: one second it was there, along the countless other scarlet components of the beautiful posy and the next, it was plucked away and lonelily discarded on the cool, round glass tabletop.

Resting her hand close to the crystal vase, Tomoe leaned in and breathed in a lungful, the thin tips of the roses gently caressing her nose and stroking her chin.

Pulling back, she beheld the lovely bouquet of red roses and frowned. With both hands, she proceeded to rearrange the flowers to her liking, digging one of her hands particularly deep into the fine Swedish crystal vase. Pricking one of her fingers on a thorn, she quickly withdrew her hand from the engraved container and grimaced at the crimson droplet that came into sight.

Transfixed by that tiny speck of vermillion marring her flawless skin, Tomoe forewent sucking it away and instead found herself thinking on the nature of things, of people, of memories and dreams.

"If you prick us, do we not bleed?" The young woman whispered sorrowfully.

A light padding of footsteps made her look up. Before the winding staircase in the entrance hall stood a stocky figure, silvery hair up in a bun, gray eyes glinting.

"What are you doing, Tomoe?" Grandmamma Sachiko asked, resting all of her weight against a wooden cane.

Staring at her forefinger, Tomoe remained silent, unsure as to what answer she could give the old woman. Would she deem her weak for thinking such things, for wondering why none of the things she had set out to do with her life seemed worthwhile and why she was afraid of what a new love meant when, if the past had taught her anything, it was that heartfelt emotion made to wound her like nothing else could?

Slowly stalking towards her granddaughter, Sachiko Yukishiro's cane beat against the porphyry floor, her strides markedly short, her pride driving her creaky bones onward.

"What is the matter, child?"

Holding her hand to her bosom, Tomoe smiled sadly and walked towards the large stairway. Modestly tugging on the hem of her beige flared crepe skirt, she sat on one of the cold marble steps and anxiously licked her lips, casting her grandmother a sidelong glance.

"It's always been for the sake of keeping up appearances, hasn't it?" Adjusting one of her camisole's spaghetti straps, she forged on without making eye-contact. "All the time, every day… that's what it has always come down to."

Sighing dolefully, she looked back down at her finger – the one that was no longer bleeding – and wondered if her heart would ever do the same.

"I was just reminding myself that if you prick a Yukishiro, he or she bleeds." Craning her neck, Tomoe took in as much of the spacious foyer as she could. "This house… it can easily make you forget."

Squatting down beside Tomoe, Grandmamma Sachiko mimicked the younger woman's earlier actions and plopped down on the hard step, lacking the grace her granddaughter had oozed when doing so. Being well over seventy did not come without its fair share of hardships and learning to accept the losses with dignity was an ongoing lesson. In her prime, Sachiko Yukishiro had been known to waltz into a room with the elegance of Grace Kelly, the defiant charm of Lauren Bacall and the mysterious airs of Greta Garbo, and own it. Nowadays, it was a miracle if she could roll out of bed, let alone risk glimpsing in the mirror; she no longer recognized the wrinkled face that stared back.

"Ah, well… perhaps you're right," she voiced raspingly – once upon a time, her voice had been strong and commanding, but now, she rasped. "Keeping up appearances is something of a family trait. But, you've been loved. It has been done out of love. Not everyone is as lucky."

A hollow chuckle escaped Tomoe. Lucky was the word most ill fit to describe her.

"Oh Grandmamma, I've been _revered_. All my life, I have been adored; I've been placed on a pedestal too many times to count. I have been the perfect daughter, the perfect student, the perfect friend, the perfect girlfriend: I've been the perfect every_thing_, for every_one_."

Her shoulders drooped and all life seemed to abandon her when she spoke. She was the wilted rose whose petals slowly fell away. She was the caged bird that would no longer sing.

"I've been loved for being a person so hard to live up to so purely and so blindly, to the point where it feels as though I've not been loved at all," Tomoe explained, her petrol eyes focusing on her pointy caramel slingbacks.

"It might not be much, but I've watched you grow Tomoe, and I've not seen a perfect woman or child." Placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, the authoritative and mighty Sachicko Yukishiro smiled fondly in remembrance. "Though I know that you are a strong, daring woman who fights for what and whom she believes in, I've seen you make mistakes, I've seen you slip. Do you remember your dance number in the eight grade? Everyone clapped and cheered. You were truly beautiful that day."

"Yes," Tomoe recalled, "to the uneducated eye, that ballet routine was executed flawlessly."

"But your teacher saw that landing and so did I. You made a mistake then: it wasn't your first and it certainly won't be your last."

Tucking a strand of loose hair behind the pale woman's ear, Grandmamma Sachiko sighed and hugged her. Closing her eyes, Tomoe felt herself drown in the familiar comfort of her grandmother's arms, the smell of baby powder and Shalimar by Guerlain enveloping her in a hazy cloud of reassurance and warmth.

"The point is, my little darling," the wiser of the two whispered, "someone will always see. Someone will always know. Nobody is perfect and there will always be someone to let you know as much, to ask you not to try so hard."

Burying her head in the crook of her grandmother's neck, Tomoe breathed in the scent of her exquisite perfume and brushed her cheek against the string of pearls her late grandfather had given Sachiko on their one year wedding anniversary.

"Not once have they asked me what he's like…"

"Ah, you speak of the father…"

Sighing, Sachiko stroked her little darling's hair, made of the darkest shade of midnight, and wondered when her son would ever learn to get things right. As if things had not been difficult enough with that kind soul Kenshin, now Oibore had to go on ahead and ruin it all over again. When would he learn that hurting his daughter was not the answer?

"Yes, the father no one wants to give a name to," Tomoe stated, breaking away from the soothing embrace. "Of course, once my mother is done flipping through the pages of a select few bridal magazines and catalogues, _then_ he'll have to show up for the wedding ceremony to end all wedding ceremonies."

Every grandmother has a unique scent. Some smell like peppermint and flowers, others like fresh laundry or medicine. Some grandmothers even smell like cigarettes and coffee beans or spices, flour, citruses and other ingredients they use while baking. With their aroma always comes a memory, one key moment in our lives when everything felt simple and as easy as one, two, three; with even the mere thought of their presence, a shy inexplicably happy child steps back into the picture, demanding affection, to be nurtured, to be loved.

But the child grew, the child got hurt, the child faced the end of a thousand illusions: the child is no more. At some point, we all have to break away.

"I do not believe that my son and daughter-in-law can control the situation anymore, darling. This is out of their hands. Your life is no longer theirs."

Getting back on her wobbly feet as she held on tightly to the bronze railing, Grandmamma Sachiko patted her granddaughter's head and began the long trek up the stairs. Pausing midway, the shriveled up woman that had once broken as many hearts as a glamorous cover girl turned around and fixedly gazed at a younger, less confident version of herself: were she the one to give the girl wings and let her fly free, if only wishes would allow…

"Forgive them, Tomoe. Forgive them for they bleed too."

Nodding her head, the raven-haired girl didn't so much as move an inch, she just sat there, pondering.

"Does he love you?"

Gradually, a change proceeded to overtake Tomoe. Out of nowhere and for no apparent reason, her moist eyes flashed to life and a soft, secret smile touched her lips, as if a treasure deeply buried within her chest had just been discovered, gold coins and large rubies pooling out of the disinterred coffer.

"Between us there's something more than silent admiration, mutual appreciation or an immense sense of comfort," she spoke, rotating her upper body in order to look at her grandmother comfortably. "It feels nice to finally be myself. It feels nice to be loved for who I am and not who I need to be."

A soft breeze tickled the forlorn rose petal on the round hall table's glass surface. Gently, the current picked it up, asked it for a dance and, together, they tangoed away through the bay window and into the night.

* * *

Sitting on her bed, with the radio on, Kaoru furiously combed the tangles out of her damp hair. Humming along to a catchy tune, she gnawed at her bottom lip and crossed her eyes as she concentrated on fighting against the Darth Vader of knots: why did every single day have to be a bad hair day?

Sliding off the mattress, she went over to her dresser and rummaged through its drawers for a pair of earrings that complimented her aquamarine racerback tank top. She just knew that they had to be around there somewhere! Tugging on a pale blue and white wristband, Kaoru mentally congratulated herself on her keen fashion sense and kept on searching to no avail for the small blue cat earrings that she had bought at the mall a few weeks back.

Giving up, she decided that being more organized was something she was going to have to add to her list of New Year's resolutions… and fruitlessly abandon by the second week of January of the upcoming year.

Chucking a candy wrapper at the mirror – an old toffee being the only interesting find she had made during her earring hunt – she stuck her tongue out at her reflection and tried to keep "the giddy" at bay. Unable to help herself, Kaoru shrugged, and then beamed like a madwoman: "the giddy" had to win sometimes, if not, then where was the balance? Besides, "the giddy" could be nice to experience; all those chemical-free happy thoughts ought to be nothing short of healthy for her brain, right?

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the happiest of 'em all?"

She knew it was silly, but she couldn't help it: "the giddy" had taken over her soul! Sure, it was every bit as frivolous and girly as it sounded but what did she care? Kenshin Himura was coming over to _her _house and he had no plans whatsoever of teaching her anything at all! Kenshin Himura was coming over to see _her_, not some other girl, not his ex-girlfriend, not some sophisticated intellectual with lustrous hair and long legs, but _her_, the plain schoolgirl Kaoru!

True enough it wasn't as if they were going out on a date or anything but… what did she care? Any minute now, he was going to be there and she was going to explode with joy at the sight of him willingly doing the stupidest thing that anyone on the planet could ever put themselves through: meeting her father!

With those blissful thoughts in mind, Kaoru skipped out of her bedroom and dashed down the stairs only to miss a step and nearly break her neck when she unthinkingly let her gaze wander off to the side.

"PUT IT AWAY!"

As if it weren't bad enough that her mother, dressed as Cher no less, had apparently let Kenshin into the house – how embarrassing! –, the photo album innocently spread open on the woman's lap was a surefire sign that the night would consist of a series of humiliating events and the retelling of dreadful camp stories, starting off with… the baby pictures. So much for "the giddy"!

Jogging over to the couch, Kaoru forewent greeting Kenshin, stammering shyly, blushing shamelessly and all those other ridiculous things that "the giddy" would have forced her to do. Instead, she ripped the photo album out of her mother's hands and sat on it: Kenshin was _not_ going to see naked baby pictures of her!

"Kaoru, your mother kindly offered to show me pictures of you running around in diapers; it would be rude of me to decline, don't you think?"

Unbelievable! Kenshin was suddenly feeling playful and acting mischievous! Had his sudden change in attitude not sprung from the possibility of checking out mortifying baby pictures of her, the high school senior would have actually considered being flattered.

"Be as rude as you want," Kaoru stated firmly, resenting the laughter in his eyes. "She won't mind, will you mom?"

"Frankly, I would be a little hurt."

Sputtering stupidly, a flabbergasted Kaoru could not believe her luck. Matricide was looking pretty good from where she was sitting!

"Kazuko, I've got the grill going so… oh, _he_'s still here…"

Turning her head to the left, she scowled at her ever inconsiderate father who just _had_ to barge in and be his usual mean self, not bothering to mince his words for, if nothing else, the sake of decorum.

"That's it! I'm asking for new parents this Christmas!"

Both Mr. and Mrs. Kamiya seemed to find her comment and her subsequent pouting hilarious since they both went right on ahead and burst out laughing. Why was it that they never took her seriously or bothered to try and act normal for her sake?

Sighing, she buried her face in her hands and wished the earth would swallow her whole. Hesitantly peeking through her fingers at her very own guest of honor, she caught Kenshin intensely staring at her, his violet eyes sparkling in the room's bright light.

And it was then that she knew… something was happening, something she had been trying to deny all along. She liked Kenshin Himura; she really, really liked him. In fact, she liked him so much that, though she was loath to admit it, she couldn't stop herself from thinking that…

Her parent's laughs faded away. The sound of clinking glasses, music and the humming of many voices coming from the backyard vanished. Suddenly, all was still, all was eerily silent except for the loud beating of her heart. His beautiful eyes danced in her vision, an invisible pull drawing her every hope, dream and aspiration to his heart, her whole world falling away and rebuilding itself around him.

_"I'm… I'm falling for him…"_

* * *

_Reviewer Responses:_

**To Shaeya Sedjet: **What can I say: I love art! Jackson Pollock is, I have to admit it, not one of my favorite artists, but that doesn't mean that I don't consider him brilliant. I was actually going to take up Art History this semester, as one of my electives, but I am already taking so many classes that I didn't want to tempt fate and the very loose hold I have on my sanity. Oh well, there's always next semester. You said you needed more of this fic; I hope that this chapter was just the perfect fix! Bye!

**To Kean: **You are right, last chapter was more of a light transition, something to gently ease the readers into what is to come next chapter and certain things that transpired in this one, such as Kaoru's slow realization of her awakening feelings. Oh well, I hope this chapter was less boring; if not, I can't say that I didn't try. Don't beat yourself up about the lazy factor, it tends to get the best of all of us. Till next time!

**To Ri-nee-chan: **You know, maybe saying that keyboards sometimes make me break out into hives is cooler than owning up to the sorry fact that I am a very slow writer. I easily get stuck on one line and I simply can't move on from there. The amazing thing is that, on occasion, the writing flows so well that I could never imagine an upcoming writer's block to be round the bend. Also, you kind of left me thinking as to the "Kenshin meeting Kaoru's father" scenario. Making it anti-cliché, as much as I would want to, just doesn't sound entirely possible. I don't think that there is any way that Mr. Kamiya could take an immediate liking to the boy, especially given how he tortured Kaz when he wasn't even a threat. However, I do believe that, with time, Mr. Kamiya might actually come to respect the guy… but more on that next chapter since, here, I barely skimmed the surface. As far as the Juppon Gatana goes, I am not certain that all characters will be appearing and any questions pertaining to Soujiro… next chapter, my dear. Thank you for the New Year's wish-me-wells: a workaholic muse is something I could really use, not this lazy, maudlin one I have to put up with. Thanks for being so kind as to take the time and reviews: I enjoy reading your comments immensely! So… until the next installment, ne?

**To Vic'chonn: **About the low morale, I hear you. I've been there with people and their ugly words; it's unpleasant, to say the least. Thank you for the Happy New Year and I hope that 2005 has been treating you nicely thus far. Speaking of dreams – you know, in keeping up with the previous chapter's theme and all – I have been having really strange ones lately: in one of them I felt like Alice in Wonderland when she crossed the looking-glass, which was, let's face it, kind of creepy. And, as if that weren't bad enough, in most of my last dreams, I've been inside a school building, sitting in a classroom, taking a test… man, I think I'm traumatized! Yes, Sou is Smiley – in a previous chapter, Tsubame mentions him as Mr. Smiley – and… he will have something to do with K/K in the very near future… as in the next chapter. Thank you for being patient with my take on the M/A relationship… did my last Aoshi piece help you piece some things together? As for my future plans as a novelist… I was thinking that if I tweak this fanfic well enough and change a few things here or there, it might do as a first meager attempt at something beyond fanfiction writing. Also, I have a story in mind with a very complicated love triangle. The main characters would be called Claire and Alex: she is a morning person; he can't live without his daily dose of caffeine, otherwise he's more of a grouch than he already is on a regular basis. I think that that about sums it up! I'll let you know if the lives of these two characters prosper on to greener pastures, okay? Thank you for everything and have a lovely day!

**To Rabid Turtle: **Thank for reviewing and wishing me a nice day; it's always nice when a stranger sends out good vibes! Personally, I view the Kaoru-Misao dynamic as a tug of war: Misao pulls everyone to the bright side of the world and, though Kaoru is fairly optimistic herself, she would much rather remain on safe terrain, not risk that much and, in doing so, play the cynic card. Kenshin IS a coward though… maybe it's not only that; as I have said before, I believe that Kenshin has his reasons for being tentative about everything. Most things in life require that we take a leap of faith; Kenshin simply doesn't have that kind of confidence in life anymore, at least not enough to jump and see what happens – that's the partial reason behind his neat-freak tendencies, it's his own guaranteed fail-proof way of controlling his environment. It's because of that lack of trust that Kaoru comes into the picture: she's not that self-assured and many things in this life terrify her – failure being one of them –, but she possesses the innate innocence required to trust without over thinking things, to let go of herself once in a while because she know she can't control everything. Sorry to have bored you with my character analysis, but I guess that just reflects how much in love with writing this story I really am. Thanks again and I hope to hear from you next chapter!

**To VanyD: **Hi! Actually, I did have fun in Buenos Aires: that city totally rocks! In any case, that trip was a blessing in disguise for the lot of you because, although it did take me away from the computer screen for a while, it inspired me. For instance, part of the initial lines of this chapter were written on the plane – I sort of tweaked it and lengthened the piece when I got back home – and my Muse CD, which was one of the musical inspirations for this installment – music being my fuel – was one of my many buys in Argentina. All in all, it was a great holiday getaway, if not rather short. Thank you for always reviewing; it means the world to me.

**To Aryanne: **Apparently, nearly everyone was super interested in Kenshin meeting Mr. Kamiya: that just means that next chapter I have to write more interaction between the two. Though I am rather disappointed in myself – I thought that their first encounter would be rather bombastic – I'm not that down about it; I just figure that it could always be worse. That's me and my "optimistic" streak for ya! "Smashed Pumpkins season": initially, that came up as a weird homage to one of my favorite bands, "The Smashing Pumpkins" and it sort of unexpectedly twisted itself into Kaoru in a hula dancer costume… no, there was no brain damage involved although, come to think of it maybe there should have been, at least it would all sound less insane. Oh well. Till next chapter and good luck with "Silver Cross!"

**To Ravyn: **I'll tell you something: I liked the "raw edge" bit a whole lot, it gave me a nice ego boost. The way I see it, you must certainly did not make a mess of a review. I can't believe someone actually spent 2 hours reading this story: it definitely must have been an awful lot to take in since I know for a fact that I tend to ramble on endlessly! I am super duper happy to hear you say that you've fallen in love with this fanfic; I put a lot of time, thought and heart into this so, it's always wonderful to hear that all the effort is appreciated. In terms of the K/K age difference, in my head it's not only about numbers, it's about emotions too; Kenshin may be older but he still has a lot to learn about love and Kaoru is the perfect person for him to learn alongside with. Or, at least, that's just my humble opinion. Thanks once again for such an uplifting review: those are always more than welcome! As for the update you asked for… I hope it met your expectations.

**To De Lazy Lime: **Well aloha to you too, my friend! How's it hanging? You know, you are the only person around here who always comments on the music which, to me, is an essential component of the creative process. Very rarely do I write something without listening to a specific song. For instance, I am sure that you will perceive that the song that was truly at the very core of this chapter was Damien Rice's "Amie". True, all the other ones I mention are incredibly important – namely "Falling away with you" and Rilo Kiley's sweet ending theme – but, somehow, "Amie" sets the tone for the story's serious sub current and not just its cheery façade. It amazes me how you always manage to understand me when that is a topic that I generally don't talk about much with the other reviewers or in my longwinded A/Ns. Since I have lived in different countries, the musical background is sometimes pretty diverse – I don't know if you've noticed that I've put up French and Brazilian songs as well as British and American ones. As far as your addiction to Combat Baby goes, blame my friend Tai; she's the one who got me hooked and made me spend a month listening to the damn thing at least once every day. You, my dear, grasped the entire concept of this story: characters who are more than they appear to be. God I love you! Do you know why Kenshin was such a guy last chapter? Because, underneath all the politeness and the kindness and the issues, that's what he is, a guy: I think some fanfiction authors tend to forget that. No matter how nice a guy can be, in the long run, he's just always going to be a guy: that's one of the main laws of the universe. Well I'm ready to post now, are you ready to read? Thank you for reviewing; it's always great when you do.

**To squishysquashy: **You know, I think the only reason that my plot ideas don't get jumbled after three chapter is because I am slower than a happy snail or a content turtle when it comes down to writing. I am glad that you enjoyed my other RK fic "All I Wanted", and that it inspired you to read this one too. Thank you for the review and till next time!

**To MZ.AMbER EYES: **Wow! You're the first person to ever describe this fanfic as "sexy"! Thanks! Literature is kind of a passion for me and, though I am majoring in journalism, my lifelong dream is to became a successful writer and, by successful, I mean one that writes properly and comes up with ingenious plots, not just one who is famous. With that in mind, I figure that I have to prepare myself and so I'm always, always reading books. Thanks for liking the story so far and here's to hoping that this chapter was a pleaser!

**To Rhapsody07: **Advertising sounds like fun and, though hard to grasp, without a back-up plan you're just screwed from the get-go. I know it sucks, I went through the same thing when I started college because I really wanted to study English, journalism was more of a second choice, but the good thing is that, for a writer, the school of life will do. It still bothers me sometimes, but when I see how complicated things are and just how messed up the world is, I can't say I regret my choice. I wish you luck in deciding what it is that you want to do and remember, it seems like such a huge decision but, in the end, you will be what you were always meant to be, no matter which path you take. No one can fight destiny; it's almost a statistically proven fact! Kissies and till next chappie!

**To Toastyann: **You know, you sound an awful lot like this friend I have called Carol: we both study journalism together and end up working side by side most of the time. We both have to write a lot – obviously – but both our styles are completely different; she's more direct and straight to the point, whereas I dance a lot around the subject, something that tended to unnerve one particular teacher of mine who fondly kept repeating "this is journalism, not literature" nearly every time I handed in an article. The truth is that I appreciated your comments a whole lot, especially because I find honesty to be of extreme importance. There's no point to senseless adulation because nothing is ever perfect; it's imperative to hint out both the good AND bad points in someone's work to help them improve. That being said, I will make sure to take all your remarks to heart. One thing that I don't think I can do for you, though, is "tone it down a bit": I get where you're coming from, but that's my style, something I will not forsake because, though I aim to please, I also try to keep as true to myself as possible and a burst of emotion and long sentences is quite typical of me and the way I write. Thank you for rooting for me and of course you can e-mail me with your questions, that's what my address is there for on my profile, after all. I'm kind of taken aback by having been able to fool everyone into believing that I am American so well since I only go to New York to shop sometimes, but I've never actually lived or studied in the U.S. I am Venezuelan and currently reside in Brazil. I hope you liked this chapter: I fear I've done my best, which is, I know, not nearly enough. I hope you continue to review me throughout this story's development, alright? Bye now!

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_Well…that was **long**! _

_I dedicate this chapter to all grandmothers, two of them in __particular__: one who is in heaven and whom I love dearly and another one that I am not very __close__ to or understand all that well, but is sick at the moment. Thank you both._

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	23. The longest day

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY:_ Anything else I were to write in this space would be too redundant. Standard disclaimers apply, and, think about it, why wouldn't they?

**Quick little message from author: **Chapter 23 bugged me like mosquitoes. Not only did classes start soon after my previous post – an event that, in my life is, in consuetudinary terms, a biannually unparalleled tragedy – but, shortly thereafter my grandmother – whom I never had the greatest of relationships with – passed away. I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but Chapter 22 was dedicated to all grandmothers, being that my own was incurably ill. Consequentially, I found my academic and personal life catching up with me and suppressing sudden bouts of genial inspiration. Lame jokes like the first liner of this AN became a daily occurrence. After finally finding some time to sit down and get my butt in gear, interruptions were nothing but scarce: silly university projects, lame outings with friends – I hate cheap bars where people drink beer in plastic cups and eighties music is, generally, a big fat no-no for me! I'm sorry, I _am_ high maintenance! –, accompanying a friend's mom to the hospital when she suffered an allergic reaction, accompanying my own sister to the hospital when she swelled up because of an allergic reaction, taking care of my mom's worsening cold, my sister's boyfriend calling claiming that there was a surprise at the door and the surprise turning out to be him – some of you might think it romantic; personally, I call that not thinking things through! You do not visit your girlfriend out of the blue, on a rainy day and expect her and her family to be out of their pajamas and with non-frizzy hair! – and a thousand other tiny incidents not worth mentioning. Despite all obstacles, however, I managed to pull through and this, my friends, is the fruit of my labor. Savor it. More Misao and Aoshi moments to come. Peace out. Oh, before I forget, happy Easter! Also, I update my profile on occasion and provide a bit of information on upcoming chapters and I invite you all to visit my xanga: www . xanga . com / annairam

**Soundtrack: **_Part I: _"En el 2000" – Natalia Lafourcade; "The Sea" – Morcheeba / _Part II:_ "Here Comes your Man" – The Pixies; "Trains" – Porcupine Tree / _Part III:_ "Shadow" – Bonnie Pink; "Suddenly Everything Has Changed" – The Postal Service / _Part IV:_ "So Here We Are" – Bloc Party / _Part V:_ "So Here We Are" – Bloc Party; "Hell is Round the Corner" – Tricky / _Part VI:_ "Give me One Reason" – Tracy Chapman / _Part VII:_ "Give me One Reason" – Tracy Chapman; "Big Girls don't Cry" – Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons / _Part VIII:_ "This Life" – Mandalay

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**Chapter 23: The longest day… **

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_"__The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live"_

**Flora Whittemore **

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A hunter green backpack filled to the brim with worthless knowledge and a snazzy collection of colored pens slammed onto the sand, a cloud of dust and creamy tan grains forming in the wake of said occurrence. 

"Your roommate's an ass."

Eyes blazing behind her shades, Kaoru had planted herself before Sanosuke, feet slightly apart, hands on her hips, and stated the obvious, in his opinion.

"Hey Kaoru," he said without pause, eyes fixed on his handiwork. "Tell me, what else is new?"

Taking off her sunglasses, the petite girl sighed and wiped her brow. The day was scorching hot and, as a result, she was sweating like a pig; not even the weather seemed to be on her side. She had woken up on the wrong foot, as the hours trickled by, millisecond for millisecond, nothing had changed, nothing had gone right and her mood hadn't lifted, more like it stubbornly refused to budge, miserably content to have a dark cloud looming over its head.

"Alright," she conceded, "he's an even bigger ass than I initially thought him to be."

"You know girly," Sano considered, calmly rubbing wax on his surfboard, "I don't think that counts as new. The potential you overlook ain't news to me."

Silence was quick to settle, like downy feathers scattered all over a bedroom after a messy pillow fight make fast work of killing laughter. Drumming her fingers against her thigh, Kaoru watched the current bane of her existence's best friend wax the yellow board's deck, his strong hand deftly rubbing circles against the smooth surface.

"Also," Kaoru finally spoke up, protectively folding her arms across her chest and looking off to the side, "I may have been sort of harsh on him… the dolt."

With a loud, annoyed sigh, Sanosuke's hand stilled and his gaze leveled on the horizon: would those two make up their minds already? "You two… you bore me."

Back to the waxing, eyes once more on the board, and Kaoru was left to wonder where the brunet's crude verbosity had run off to. Once he opened his mouth again, the taste of salt on the tip of his tongue, secret relief flooded her: no surprises here and she was a merry gal… if not for her conscience eating away at her still.

"The dancing around each other has got to stop, one way or another." Looking up at Kaoru's hopeful face, Sanosuke fought against the torrent of anger swirling within and pressed on. "If you're both sorry about something I don't know and, to be honest, don't really give a damn about, fucking let it go already and decide."

"Decide?" She asked, genuinely curious.

There was this childlike quality about the high school senior that, no matter how much she tried to deny, always remained and got her the things she wanted, even if she had no clue that she was about to be turned down. Her inherent innocence was something that seemed almost attuned to a brighter, utopian universe, and that made it impossible to resist her wide, questioning eyes.

The tall man truly wanted to tell her that she was intruding on his alone-time, that he had his own problems to deal with, that today had been a terrible day for him and that it wasn't even far from over, that he once again had come unbelievably close to calling it quits with his girlfriend, that he was confused and desperate… but, those eyes… it was like looking at an abandoned puppy humbly requesting attention and scraps of food. It was like watching Oliver Twist get shut down when his stomach spoke louder than common sense.

It was… like quietly spying on Kenshin Himura as he sat on the couch sometime during the predawn hours and silently stared at the rain pelting against the loft windows, gaze lost in the darkness, mind trapped in the past.

Kneeling down before Sanosuke, Kaoru awaited with baited breath for some form of advice that could rid her of her heavy heart and fill the empty rooms with light again. Tomoe had said that her house was full of empty rooms; was this what she meant? Was her coded message a credible veneer of lunacy, simply a clever analogy for a broken heart?

"Unfamiliar with the concept, missy? Decide what you two… where you two stand, or something."

Crawling towards the shade, Kaoru sadly shook her head and wondered if she could get Sano to understand without giving too much of herself away.

"That's just it," she said meekly, digging her fingers into the cool sand, "he has secrets that… We're all allowed our fair share of the hush-hush, but… If he won't let me in on the little stuff…how am I supposed to know where I stand?"

Craning his neck to the side, Sanosuke watched as she gloomily let a handful of sand slip through her fingers: as long as she didn't do that again while being closer to his board, he had no complaints. However, if she so much as stirred nearer and the wind blew in his direction, he would have to ride on sandpaper; he did _not_ want free exfoliation, he just wanted to surf.

"Look," Sano spoke, leaning back and bracing himself on his elbows, "Kenshin is a pretty private guy; that's just his way. When he's ready, he'll tell you the whole deal. In the meantime, don't sweat it."

Eyes glued on the oceanfront, blue burned into sparkling orangey fires that died down with the help of a filmy, prickly froth – intent on pooling over and stoking the flames – forcefully held at bay.

"There's a time and a place for him to tell me he's an orphan? That's a basic factoid Sano!" Kaoru blared out unhappily. "We've known each other for a month give or take, and I found out about that yesterday, by chance! I know I'm young and I have 'all the time in the world', but that was just plain ridiculous."

That was good. It was good for her to vent, for her to get her worries off her chest. Now that that was over and done with, she could finally come to terms with the next phase of the process of falling for someone for the very first time: it wasn't going to go away that easily, anger or not, disappointment or sadness. Life could most definitely be cruel and someone had to make little Miss Muffet affrightedly flee her comfortable tuffet; someone had to be the big, scary spider.

"But… you like him."

Resting his chin on his shoulder, Sanosuke patiently awaited the admission that would do her in, the famous last words of a boy-free, problem-free girl sneakily dipping her toes in the water. Something was lurking beneath the surface and the Pandora in her would make sure she curiously stumbled in, knee-deep, before getting dragged down beneath the waves by a large tentacle.

"…Maybe," Kaoru offhandedly confessed. Shrugging, she averted her eyes from the honey kissed face that fondly quirked its dry lips.

"Then let it go." Head whipping round towards the sea, Sanosuke filed all his problems away in the back of his mind, for the time being, and focused on the shoreline. "Man, look at those breaks!"

"Let it go? Just like that?"

"Sure thing." Picking up the bar of wax, the quarterback weighed his options and decided that he couldn't figure out which one was denser. Thinking back on all the things he knew about Kenshin, though, and his inability to go about one day of his life without feeling remorseful over every little thing, he had to go with the latter.

"How so?"

"Do you know how many things I've had to let slide with Megumi? It's the only way to deal with all the shit that comes with being in a relationship."

"That's the magic word: relationship," Kaoru clarified, wiping her hands on her capri cargo pants. "We aren't in… we're lost; at least that's how I feel most of the time."

Seagulls shrieked loudly, gliding in the humid wind, their graceful figures soaring low in the lazuli sky. The salty smell of seawater and the strong scent of seaweed carried on the breeze. Children yelled and chased after each other, carmine and pink buckets transforming into coral sandcastles, navy blue and army green shovels determinedly digging their way to China. Kaoru and Sanosuke remained silent.

"So, how did you find me?" Sano asked, getting on his feet and propping up his surfboard.

"I followed the trail of destruction," his companion commented with a casual wave of her hand.

"No, really."

"Umm… dumb luck I guess," Kaoru explained, also standing up. "I came here straight from school, running away from my drama club responsibilities, took to aimlessly wandering about the beach and… then there you were."

Opening the door to the little surf shack owned by his friend Jonas, a marine biology major, Sanosuke chuckled lightly. "Small world, hunh?"

"After last night, I'd call it microscopic."

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§

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_"Open up! Nanami made pecan pie!"_

_"Misao, would you stop referring to your mother as anything other than your mother?"_

_"She has a name, doesn't she?"_

_"**She** likes being called mom, hon. **She** also likes her presence being acknowledged." _

_The Makimachis had always been known for their dramatic entrances; they always made sure to announce themselves in a very distinct manner._

_"**Mom**, it makes you sound younger when your daughter calls you by your name," Kaoru overheard Misao loudly explain as she made her way to the foyer. "Not even lying about your age is as effective."_

_"Are you calling me old?" Mrs. Makimachi exclaimed, just as Kaoru made for the house keys._

_"You have an eighteen year old daughter, you can't-"_

_"And we don't come in peace, so **please**, someone hurry and open the door!" Mr. Makimachi called out desperately; he was only a second away from pounding on the door and howling to the moon. _

_"Will do, Mr.Makimachi," Kaoru cheerfully proclaimed, swinging the front door open to let the herd stampede on in. _

_There was never a chance to say hello or catch sight of who exactly was rushing through the threshold as Misao's blue streaks invaded her vision and she got the air squeezed out of her. Why the girl never gave up glomming and wrapping her in a death grip as soon as they came into contact was a mystery; knowing what a tube of toothpaste must feel like every time someone decides to brush their teeth, unfortunately, was not. _

_"Oh Kaoru, I'm so excited! Where is he? Is he hot? Show me! Show me!"_

_"Let go, you monkey!" Kaoru yelped, "I've got a tray of cookies embedded in my ribcage!"_

_Cutting loose, Misao readjusted her hold on the tray of chocolate chip cookies and glanced around with about as much prudence as an old lady on bingo night. _

_"Sorry, sorry," she apologized, too busy making her way to the living room to actually make it sound believable. "Where is he?"_

_"Where's your cousin?" Kaoru countered, slamming the door._

_"Off with my homicidal mother and my parole officer of a father, I presume," she answered disinterestedly._

_"…Okay then."_

_"So, where's the mystery meat?"_

_"Misao, he's not yucky cafeteria food," the schoolgirl pointed out patiently. "And he's out back… with my homicidal father and parole officer of a mother."_

_"Makes sense."_

_Treading along behind Misao, Kaoru narrowly avoided getting whipped in the face by her friend's tousled mane on several occasions; the peppy cheerleader simply adored the 'I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-but-I-look-damn-fine-this-natural-anyhow' look: the diva was a charmer._

_"So, which one is he?" Misao inquired, soon after they'd stopped weaving by small groups of people discussing politics, economy, cloned cats, Britney Spears and the Michael Jackson trial, among other things._

_"Which one's your cousin that has a silly nickname and that I'm supposed to know but, for the life of me, can't remember?"_

_"You… you don't want me to meet him!" Misao exclaimed in shock, realizing that her best friend was avoiding the subject... and putting her index finger to good use._

_"Can you blame me?" Kaoru asked, uneasiness floating around in her widened eyes._

_"… Not really."_

_Overcome with relief, the ebony-haired girl snatched the cookie tray away from the other's grasp and placed it on a long table near the open French doors. Food was never lacking at a reunion in the Kamiya household; Kazuko Kamiya might have been a lousy cook, but neither she nor her husband were the least bit stingy, and their friends always collaborated, taking dessert into their own hands most of the time. _

_"Anyway," Kaoru voiced softly, sticking her head out like a giraffe while standing on tiptoe, her eyes searching for Kenshin through the crowd, "I can't see him from here. Last time I checked dad was with him; hopefully I won't find him in a body bag."_

_"Tell you what: go look for him while I scour around for Smiley. The four of us can meet up in a few, okay?"_

_"If we must…"_

_Rolling her eyes, Misao took to the left and bounded away; grumbling and scuffling her feet, Kaoru slowly headed out the doors and began her recon mission on the right side of the yard._

_October was supposed to be windy and cool, but as if life ever dared be predictable! Walking around with her arms hanging limply at her sides, Kaoru considered taking off her shoes; the grass might be prickly, but it was fresher than having her feet rammed into the enclosed space of sneakers. _

_People bustled by all around, talking loudly, refreshing beverages in hand. Giggles echoed in the night and jack-o'-lanterns made funny faces at the guests, thankful for the soft lighting that the carved out pumpkins emitted along with the colorful Chinese lanterns hanging from tree to tree. _

_Puffing her cheeks, hands on her waist, she considered things for the whole of a second before exhaling and bending down to untie her shoes: it was simply too darn hot for footwear! _

_Holding onto her white sneakers by their shoelaces, Kaoru pulled herself up… and a lyrist lightly plucked her own heart strings, it would seem. _

_Leaning against the trunk of an old oak tree stood a beautiful boy with a sad smile on his thin lips. His arms were comfortably crossed over his chest, his magenta polo shirt rippling dark and light as he calmly breathed, the shade of the tree canopy and the play of golden light that filtered through small spaces between leaves and branches both fighting for dominance. Tranquilly standing there, he was entirely unaware of the struggle, of the ebb and flow of chiaroscuro that entranced a simple girl with a loudly booming heart. _

**_"What is… what _**is**_ this feeling?"_**

_A small head popping up from behind the tree shook her from her thoughts and, fascinated, Kaoru watched as Kenshin bent down, scooped up a little girl of, perhaps four, and carried her on his back, her short pigtails bobbing with the motion._

_Squealing gleefully in his ear and yanking at his long hair, it was amazing to note that not once did he complain, not even when the child in a pastel green sundress pulled too hard and made him choke. Offer the girl kind smiles and gentle words that, from a distance, Kaoru could not hear: that was all he did._

**_"I know… I think I know what this feeling means…"_**

_Chewing on her bottom lip, Kaoru allowed herself a broad smile and, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her free hand, leisurely paced towards them, blades of grass brushing against the soles of her bare feet. _

_Suddenly, a streak of poppy pink flew right past her, nearly knocking her off her feet and latched itself onto one of Kenshin's legs. Slightly stumbling backwards, the redhead effortlessly managed to maintain his balance, even with the unexpected weight tugging at his pants._

_A bright laugh was all the warning he got before Kaoru trotted to a stop right in front of him; the children had been keeping him too busy to notice the dark-haired beauty walking his way._

_"I see you've met the Olsen twins," Kaoru said, in reference to the adorable granddaughters of the family doctor. _

_"I'm Mary-Kate!" Suzume chirped._

_"No, I'm Mary-Kate!" Ayame contradicted her sister, pushing her to the side. _

_Absently patting one of the two bickering kiddies on the head, Kenshin chuckled and gave Kaoru his full attention._

_"They were bored and, frankly so was I; we decided to combine forces."_

_"You found the perfect excuse to get away from dad," Kaoru stated knowingly._

_"Well, they wouldn't leave Dr. Genzai alone and he had some things to discuss with your father," Kenshin innocently explained, "I simply happened to be in the right place, at the right time. It couldn't hurt for your father to see me as responsible and cooperative."_

_"Did you happen to mention that you're Episcopalian too, just for the heck of it?" _

_"Now, I'm not one for lying Kaoru," Kenshin said, humor tingeing his voice, "I merely mentioned that my grandmother was a churchgoing woman and a true believer in the compassionate nature of God. At least, that's what I've always been told."_

_"She's dead, isn't she?" She asked flatly._

_"Had been for a long time when I was born."_

_"That was… very clever of you, Kenshin."_

_"Why, thank you."_

_Fond smiles were traded, small little secrets shared in a glance. _

**_"Falling for him… it doesn't feel so bad…"_**

_"So… did you miss me?" Kaoru asked, hands behind her back, cheeks stained powder pink. _

_Her shoes were very close to hitting the ground._

_"Kaoru, I…"_

_His hands were sweaty, a hairsbreadth away from abandoning his sides and cradling her face._

_"KAORU!"_

_Both their heads spun around as swiftly as Schumacher racing to the finish line, a perfect moment reduced to a torn photograph of a near kiss that neither would be able to carry around in their wallets._

_"Misao…" Kaoru growled, eyes screwed shut, the tone of reproach in her voice deafening._

_"Kaoru Kamiya… you look taller than I remember."_

_The voice sounded familiar, the words spoken affectionately, the figure in the shadows a stranger that could have been a past memory being dragged back into the present by the hand._

_"I'm sorry, Misao says we've met, but I…" The rest of her words died in the back of her throat as the man stepped forward and a neon blue Chinese lantern right behind him casting a bright glow revealed him and his smile to be remnants of lost summers spent on the lawn, drinking tall glasses of lemonade._

_"Okay, so maybe calling him Smiley didn't actually help – even if he happens to smile nearly all the time – but, by the look on your face, it seems to all be coming back now, or am I mistaken?"_

_Never had Misao spoken truer words: though much taller and slightly fuller – when they were younger he had been nothing more than skin and bones –, Kaoru remembered. She remembered him well and, what's more, remembered him warmheartedly._

_"Seta?"_

_The fact that Kenshin seemed to know him, however, was much more surprising than Soujiro Seta standing there, in front of her, after all those years._

_"It's been a while, Himura. It's nice to see you again."_

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Running out of Buscopan or Midol was the greatest of human tragedies, or so Misao thought. Truth be told, without the little tablets, she was no better off than Simon Cowell during a bad audition or someone equally bitter. Sometimes, being a woman simply wasn't worth the hassle.

The pharmacy doors slid open and Misao stepped inside, her low ponytail swishing from side to side.

Roaming through the aisles, her green eyes avidly scanned the white back-to-back steel shelves, eager to come across the current object of her innermost desires: the cramps had to be stopped!

There's this saying about people oftentimes finding more than they bargained for; it's a cliché because it's real.

"…find it."

"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I can't… I have to… I need to find it."

"Miss, please."

"Do you have it? I need to find it! Please, do you have it?"

"Miss… please leave; I don't want to have to call security."

With every step she took, the voices grew louder. There was a small crowd around the cash register that impaired her vision, but that did not appease Misao's nosiness; on the contrary, the fact that so many people had taken interest in whatever was happening only served to make her all the more curious.

Standing on her toes, she tried to make out the unfolding scene, but all her efforts were fruitless since a dozen or so heads blocked her view of the fray.

"My little boy… I have to find it for him… I have to find it."

"Miss we've been through this: if you won't tell me what you're looking for, I can't help you. You're making the costumers nervous so, please, would you mind leaving? I don't want to have to call security but… what else would you have me do if you insist on making a scene?"

"I need to find it!"

When Misao heard the sound of several things crashing onto the floor, she just knew that she had to see for herself what all the commotion was about. Pushing her way none to gently – that got her some annoyed stares – through the sea of housewives – because let's face it, who else would be peering on with utter fascination at a catastrophe in the making? –, the girl drew to a stop when a woman with short red hair the size of Kansas refused to budge.

"That's it! I'm calling security."

"But I have to find it, don't you see?"

Peeping over the obese woman's head – which required her to stand on one foot and jump really high repeatedly – Misao caught sight of several shattered cough syrup bottles and quite a few cardboard medicine boxes on the ground: whoa! Whoever had done that sure was one crazy lady! The pharmacy clerk, wearing the customary white lab coat, stepped away from the aisle were the psycho who had caused all the damage was probably standing and, frowning, headed for the phone.

"Please, I have to find it!"

Misao's eyes widened, became two frightened, perfectly round searchlights and, before she knew it, she was making a mad dash for the pharmacy clerk, urging her to give up on calling security. How she managed to walk past the wide brick wall of a woman standing in front of her, she would never know.

"Please, don't call security! Please, she's sick! I know who she is, I know she didn't mean to do any of these things, she's just very sick! Please, I'll get her out of here! Please, just don't call security!"

When Yuriko Shinomori had waddled out in pursuit of the clerk in nothing but a lavender terrycloth bathrobe, Misao hadn't known what to do, what to say, how to feel; she hadn't even been sure of how exactly to go about panicking. All she had known for certain was that the authorities could not grow to be involved, lest Aoshi get into trouble and Yuriko more riled up than she already was. A person in her condition could become violent if provoked and that would simply have been the end of the world for the both of them.

Inching towards Ms. Shinomori, with her wild hair and accusing glare, Misao felt the heat of a thousand eyes looking her way, waiting for her next move, breaths held, minds drawn to a blank. At any other given time, the wannabe actor would have been more than happy to comply, elated at the very thought that she was drawing so much attention; today, however, everything had changed and all she wished was to have the power that would make this moment go away, that would make the dreadful story that she had landed a stellar role in un-write itself.

Swallowing down her increasing worry and her sudden stage fright, Misao took a deep breath, centered herself, schooled her features and did what she had always done best: acted.

_"Act like everything's fine. Act like you're not terrified. Act like one of your worst fears isn't coming true. Act like you can make it all better. Act like you always do, Misao. Act!"_

Covering the distance between them, she maintained a tentative scope of separation, so as not to throw her neighbor into hysterics or anything of the sort, and with a caring smile on her face, left the coward's way parked out somewhere remote and cold; cowardice would serve no purpose here.

"Ms. Shinomori, it's okay," she voiced cautiously, mindful not to disturb her in the least. "Please, tell me what you're looking for."

"I… I have to find it."

"Find what exactly?"

To bear witness to such an atrocious thing, a beautiful, gentle woman reduced to a crazed, confused, broken creature. The minutes seemed to last forever, time in itself too short to bring with it the answers to a question that never did quite manage to go away: why?

"It's not here Ms. Shinomori," Misao tried to say as soothingly as humanely possible. She knew that, under the current circumstances, she was way out of her league but her only option was to get Aoshi's mother out of the establishment.

"It's not… It's not here?"

"No, you won't find it here."

In a daze, Yuriko knocked over a few other products, nervously whispering to herself, casting untrusting glares in Misao's direction, a girl she had known since the womb. It was nothing short of heartbreaking.

"Do you know where it is? It's not here… Do you know? Where is it? Do you know? I need to find it. I need… I need…"

"I…"

Misao was at a complete loss. The way Yuriko kept mumbling to herself and fidgeting with her hands was scary. A ton of bricks weighed down on her stomach, making her queasy.

"You know."

"…I know it's not _here_."

"You know where it is," Yuriko blurted out, pointing an accusing finger at her. "I have to find it. Tell me where it is! I need to find it… What color is it? I forget…"

"Yuriko, come with me-"

"Tell me what color it is! I need to find it," she interrupted at the top of her voice before withdrawing into herself again and timidly pursuing the subject. "Please, I have to find it. I forget… I forget… tell me the color. The color. The color…"

"The color? It's… it's… uh… it's slate blue, like your little boy's eyes."

Something inside the empty husk of the one who once was Yuriko Shinomori clicked, a flicker of recognition passing her by and, for a fraction of eternity, anchoring itself in her memory.

"Slate blue? Slate blue… I forget sometimes. Will you take me to it? I… I need to find it."

"I'll help you."

Holding out her hand, Misao waited, pleaded, begged and bribed, all in the space of such languorously heavy silence that it clung to her like spider webs, all in the seemingly endless amount of time that it took for a dysfunctional angel to reach back.

"My little boy, he has beautiful eyes, doesn't he?"

"Yes, yes he does."

Gently pulling her along, Misao walked her charge out of the pharmacy, distress tampered down. It was going to be a long day.

We're all looking for something; the problem is how to go about finding it.

Sometimes, it's the simple answers that lead us in the right direction.

Sometimes, we're far too lost to know where we're heading.

Sometimes, we can't find our way back.

Sometimes, we misplace ourselves.

We're all looking for something; the sad part is when it can't be found.

* * *

§

* * *

The teacher had dimmed the lights. The film projector was doing its thing. Behind him, an obnoxious girl with a penchant for the obscure and funerary constructions kept systematically kicking the back of his chair. On the screen, a busty, platinum blonde screamed for all she was worth shortly before the scene changed and jazzy film noir music assaulted the classroom. In his mind, Kenshin knew of nothing else than the previous night.

* * *

_"You went to Eximius Prep School with Soujiro? Kenshin, that's an extremely exclusive, expensive, Ivy League oriented school!"_

_All of Kaoru's reckonings were indeed true, and didn't he know it…_

_"Well, before Ken broke the chain, Yale was the only place for a Himura, wasn't it?"_

_Soujiro__ wasn't telling lies, that was for sure. Granted, his mother had studied at NYU, but it had been his parents' wish for him to attend Yale… or at least that's what he had always assumed, given his father's family history. _

_"Yale? Yale… as in **Yale**, Yale?"_

_Why was she so shocked, anyway? So what if he should have gone to Yale? Yale, shmail! He'd given up on that a long time ago and, in his opinion, it had truly been for the best. _

_"**Lux**** et Veritas**... that's the motto I believe. Wasn't Akira Kiyosato planning to enroll there as well?"_

_That sardonic smile of his… what he wouldn't give to be able to rip the boy's head off!_

_"Well Smiley, you may not have been Yale material, but you did pretty well for yourself, didn't you?"_

_"I can't complain; Stanford truly is the place for me."_

_That friend of Kaoru's – Misao, if he wasn't mistaken – sure was good to have around: a change in topics simply could not have been more warranted. _

_"I can't wait to go to college! Though, come to think of it, figuring out what the hell it is that I want to major in wouldn't be so terrible, now would it?"_

_"Oh please, Kaoru! We already know you're going to Sarah Lawrence and that the next big thing, literature-wise, will be you."_

_"How can you be so certain that that's the place for me?"_

_"As I live and breathe…"_

_"Bah, Humbug!"_

_"And it's not even the holidays yet! You are such a grouch!"_

_"Aren't all writers supposed to be?"_

_"I think you actually have to publish a book first before the bitterness and alcoholism kicks in."_

_"I shall take note of that. When does your dramatic story of substance abuse and/or hitting the bottle too hard come into play?" _

_"It depends."_

_"On?"_

_"Are we talking Valley of the Dolls substance abuse, or Vivian Leigh spin the bottle?"_

_"The choice is yours."_

_"Valley of the Dolls it is! Manic depression just doesn't suit me, you know?" _

_On second thought…__ This conversation could be hitting too close to home; even Soujiro looked uncomfortable, try as he might to disguise it. _

_"So Ken, how is Hiko? He was as fierce as a lion when we got ourselves into trouble that last time, hunh? How's the gallery?"_

_He just couldn't let it go, could he? All he had ever wanted was to spend a smidgen of quality time with Kaoru and her family – even if her father wasn't one for his particular brand of company – and, apparently, that was asking for the sun, moon, stars and all things impossible. Why had Soujirou Seta come out of the blue and into his life all over again? This was, in all honesty, a situation that went beyond bad karma; this was having sold his soul to the devil in his sleep and now being tortured for retribution… or something akin to it. _

_"Who's Hiko? Is he Kenshin's dad?" Kaoru asked, somewhat put out at the thought that Misao's cousin knew more about the boy beside her than she, it appeared, ever would. "He never does talk about his parents." _

_"Dad?__ Oh no, Kaoru, Ruben is his legal guardian. Ken doesn't have parents."_

_"Hunh?"_

_Oops… Now he'd gone right on ahead and done it! Had he forgotten to mention that his parents had died in an accident when he was but a little boy? Had he allowed – though 'allowed' wasn't exactly the word he would use – a third party to bring it up? And, most importantly, would Kaoru take offense at this? From the look on her face, his line of questioning had just bumped itself into the rhetorical category._

_"Kenshin, buddy, you didn't tell her?" his former classmate asked, a glint of mischief twinkling in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to open my mouth and blab, I just didn't know it was a big secret; it didn't use to be…"_

_It was incredible how the man standing before him could force himself to seem contrite and duly embarrassed. In the past, that had gotten them both out of pretty nasty situations._

_"It's not," Kenshin assured them all through gritted teeth. "I just…" Turning his eyes toward the raven haired teen beside him, he wasn't exactly sure how to finish that sentence. With her head cast down, she seemed upset and… damn it all to hell if he hadn't screwed up all over again! Maybe he should write down 'permanent screw-up' under expertise when filling out any future job applications._

_"It just slipped your mind," she murmured softly, head hung low, eyes on the lush green grass._

_"Kaoru, I-"_

_"So," she intoned, a broad fake smile plastered on her face, "what are you doing here Sou? Taking a break from Stanford?"_

_"Actually, I had some business to take care of that simply couldn't wait till Thanksgiving," Soujiro answered, sending a significant glance in Kenshin's direction. Stiffening up, Kenshin did not give it much thought when he automatically reached for Kaoru's hand and wrapped his own slightly larger one around it. "That, and I missed my family. Aunt Nanami **is** my godmother and all around favorite aunt, after all."_

_By this point, Kenshin was practically seething, and how could he not be? He knew the split personality game like the back of his hand; he himself had played it for a while. He knew Soujirou, all his tricks and chameleonic abilities. The guy knew how to be charming, knew how to fake his way through anything. His presence alone was unsettling. Why was he in Kaoru's house? Why did he have to be Misao's cousin? Why: the question shot that would not stay dead._

_"Sou's my fourth favorite cousin, but I put up with him for Nanami's sake," Misao joked, elbowing said cousin in the ribs. _

_"Right back at you, cousin," he remarked just as teasingly, repeating her former action._

_"What business did you have to take care of?"_

_So much for the relaxed atmosphere! Perhaps he should have left well enough alone, but Kenshin couldn't help himself: he needed to find out what the ulterior motive for Soujiro Seta's visit was; he had to ascertain that he had nothing to do with it. Flushing, Kaoru couldn't help noticing – despite her upset – that the soon-to-be architect tightened the grip on her hand when he spoke. Was he alright?_

_"Still paranoid, Ken?__ They've got pills for that now."_

_How dare he! Who gave him the right to say such things! Who fucking gave him the right to bring back the past after all his careful efforts to run it over and leave it out to die in a lonesome highway somewhere, metaphorically speaking? What the hell did he want!_

_"Of course, I'm more of an herbal medicine man myself," Soujiro stated, his polite smile not once faltering, his performance Oscar-worthy. "And, if all else fails, there's nothing like a good laugh to lighten people up. That's why Patch Adams is a brilliant role model; he understands the power of endorphins."_

_"As do you," Kenshin articulated, each syllable bitterly rolling off his tongue._

_"As do I," Soujiro agreed, hands in his pockets, hair ruffled by a sudden gust of wind._

_Misao and Kaoru exchanged perplexed glances. One long blink: a minor shake of the head. One chin tilt: a shrug of the shoulders. Not even the Morse code of best friends could aid them in understanding the current situation. _

_"So… the tension is freaking me out and, since I've never known what's good for me, I'll ask anyway." With that, Misao laid the bedding for what was to be nothing more than her busybody ways getting the better of her. "What's the story with you guys?"_

_"Not worth recounting," the redhead was quick to reply, his violet eyes still locked with Soujirou's dark orbs. _

_Kenshin felt the void as she slipped her hand away from his and instead clutched it to her chest. There was air around his fingers. His palm was slowly cooling down. There was nothing to hold on to and his hand was, yet again, heavily hanging without purpose by his side. In instants, the appendage went numb. _

_"Nothing is worth recounting to you," Kaoru uttered darkly, her stance visibly changing into a 'don't-you-dare-touch-me' pose: body language could be such a bitch. _

_"Don't get mad at him," the blue-eyed young man offered kindly, "he's always been the mysterious type. It suits him. It landed him plenty of dates and secret admirers in high school."_

_Was there a state where murder **wasn't** illegal?_

* * *

§

* * *

Joni Mitchell equals salve. The Cranberries dictate that salvation is free. George Michael's "Freedom" never was one of her favorite songs. Music, no matter the genre, was doing absolutely nothing to keep her steady or still; her thoughts brooked no room for rest or pacifying arguments.

Reaching over to the radio, she came to the sorry decision of pulling the plug on yet another failed attempt at cheering herself up. Determination ruling her actions, she picked up the tools of her trade and fled from her bedroom. Working herself to the bone in the dojo, Kaoru discovered that all forms of evasion were useless; she could run or see for miles (1)and, headstrong as ever, her mind would not stray. Last night, she said (2)…

* * *

_§_

* * *

_She would stand her ground and be casual about it. She would speak her mind without snarling and get the message across without incident. As infatuated as she might be, omission of basic profile info – which could only lead to the omission of bigger truths – was not going to blow over well with her. With poise and reason on her side, she would make Kenshin see the error of his ways and leave the ball in his court. At least, that was the plan…_

_"How could you not tell me you were an orphan!"_

_"Kaoru -"_

_"Or that you were destined for Yale and far greater things?"_

_"Kaoru -"_

_"How could you not tell me all of these simple little things?"_

_"Kaoru -"_

_"How could you…**lie**?"_

_"I did not lie!"_

_It was a miracle that he had managed to get more than two words out without further interruptions. Apparently, she was so taken aback by his denial to her claims that, after that, she chose to remain silent. Nevertheless, it didn't last._

_"Omission, by default, is a lie in my book!"_

_"Then your book is in dire need of an editor because forgetting to mention something that never came up in conversation is not the same as lying, Kaoru."_

_"Oh, come on! That's like claiming unintentional fallacy!"_

_"Which exists, given that a fallacious argument can be spurred by ignorance and not necessarily ill intent."_

_"You don't get it do you?" Kaoru asked wearily. "It did come up. Every time I talked about my parents it came up. When we talked about college applications that night at the diner, it came up. When I dealt with you excelling at nearly every academic subject known to man, it came up! It came up Kenshin!" Struggling to calm herself down, she combed her fingers through her hair and concentrated on her breathing. "You didn't **forget** to mention anything, you just didn't want to."_

_Sighing, it was Kenshin's turn to figure that his hair needed to be tamed down, as well as his rising temper. It didn't make sense to him that someone would make such a big deal over something so trivial._

_"Kaoru," he patiently explained, trying his hardest to reason with her, "you may be right; maybe, those are things I don't like to talk about. If that's the case, am I not allowed some privacy?"_

_"You told Soujirou that none if it was a big secret."_

_"It's not! Things don't have to be secret for a person to not want to talk about certain matters."_

_"Fine."_

_At first, Kenshin was relieved: it was natural for him to think, given her reaction, that business had been taken care of; her cheeks were no longer red, her eyes were no longer damning him to the fires of hell and her tone sounded fairly neutral. Kaoru's subsequent whisper, however, deemed the conversation far from over._

_"Let me know when it'll be okay to talk about silly things like family."_

_"Kaoru, what did I just say?" Kenshin questioned, exasperation coloring his voice._

_"I heard you," she stated firmly. "I heard you loud and clear. That's why I'm asking you to let me know when you think you will be able to trust me."_

_"It's not about trust!" He exclaimed in frustration._

_"It is," she serenely replied. "It's always about trust. It's about you telling me I trust too easily and you not trusting me enough. There's no sense in lying to ourselves about it."_

_"No one is lying here."_

_"Be glad you're not Pinocchio." _

_So they had finally resorted to name calling: well, this was most definitely bound to turn out well…_

_After pacing around for a minute or so, Kenshin did not know what to say. Catching a glimpse of her, he found her staring off into the distance, eyebrows furrowed and nearly touching: she was still mad. She was so mad, in fact, that her anger had left her speechless. She too did not know what to say; he was too stubborn and… and… how she hated this! She had actually had high hopes for the evening but, somewhere along the line, everything had changed and all her expectations were suddenly looking incredibly stupid and unrealistic._

_Why couldn't he trust her, just a little? Tomoe probably knew every single thing about him, including the exact date he lost his first tooth. Kaoru, on the other hand, wasn't even entitled to knowing that his parents were dead; she didn't have clearance for that type of classified information. Why did she have to realize tonight, of all nights, that she was falling for such a first class moron? That little discovery only served to worsen her growing disappointment. Maybe she was mistaken; maybe her feelings were so jumbled that she couldn't really tell what was what._

_"What do you want from me?"_

_Head cracked, thoughts swirling, galaxies colliding. _

_Distortion, contortion, disbelief._

_Eyes wide, eyes squinted, eyes saucer-like. _

_Sudden stupor, sudden acceleration, sudden recovery._

_Stunned, surprised, irate._

_Pause, Fast Forward, Play._

_First class moron was nothing; there simply was no way to put into words just what kind of person Kenshin Himura was._

_"What kind of a half-assed question is that!"_

_"Just tell me what you want from me, Kaoru, and I'll see if I can oblige." The redhead carried himself as if that statement were the most sensible argument in the world. "Well?"_

_"Do… do you have any friends Kenshin Himura?" Kaoru blared as stridently as if she had been using a megaphone. "Because if you did, then you would know that what you're doing right now, what you're saying with that open honest look on your face… it's all wrong!"_

_Pausing to catch her breath, the high school senior balled her hands into fists and repressed the unexpected urge to sob and throw a hissy fit. How she wanted to throttle him until he was blue!_

_"I don't want you to be, do or say anything other than what **you** – as in the person that you are – would be, say or do, you idiot!"_

_"Now who's lying?" he asked, his arms folded over his chest, his lavender eyes kindly beseeching her to see the light. _

_"You… you seriously think that I'm looking to change you…"_

_The moment she took an involuntary step back and practically tripped over her own feet, Kenshin knew that that had not come out right. The moment her pretty face turned sallow and her eyes lost their luster he knew that all the fight had left her and, though he had aimed to put an end to the conflict, her response made him feel as if he had pulled a Hiroshima on her: sure, the A-bomb ended the war, but at what cost?_

_"That's not… Kaoru stop it, please, that's not how I meant it."_

_"Oh really?"_

_"Yes, **really**!"_

_"Fine."_

_"No, it's not fine, you don't look fine," Kenshin said, bringing his hands towards her face. She pulled away before he could touch her. "You took things the wrong way and now you're upset. I never wanted to upset you."_

_"Well it sucks to be you because, guess what? You did!"_

_It might have been childish but self-defense mechanisms don't inexorably have to be refined, they just have to take over at the right time. Too bad human timing, relationship-wise, is never accurate…_

_"I… uh… I should go," the forlorn boy – for now he looked much more like a small boy and less like a confident man telling the girl he was interested in that he was right and she was wrong – muttered, unsure as to how the end of this bizarre evening was supposed to go, as to what his final parting words should be. "I'll… I'll see you around, Kaoru…"_

_Head bowed, hands fisted deep in his pockets, his distress was evident; glassy eyes and hunched over posture, Kaoru was no different to look upon: their sadness was blatantly obvious and a nearly palpable emotion set in a macaroni picture frame, for all the world to see. Never had pudgy, kindergarten hands crafted such a delicate work of art for Mother's Day._

_The fading black and white photo saw its own faint, dull tones mesh into many shades of gray, the camera lens unfocused, capturing the distorted image of a boy and a girl, a still picture of life spinning as fast as a carousel. Primary colors blotched the paper, richer hues swirling into motion as a depressed pair of Florsheim loafers edged away, footfalls echoing in Kaoru's mind. He was leaving._

_Once Kenshin disappeared into the crowd, it was as if the sound had been turned back on. So far, the entire Halloween shindig had been on mute but, as tears gathered in Kaoru's eyes, the irony of an old Frankie Valli and Four Seasons record was precious. _

**_♪_**

**_"_****_(Silly girl) Shame on you your Mama said  
(Silly girl) Shame on you, you cried in bed  
(Silly girl) Shame on you, you told a lie  
Big girls do cry"_**

**_♪_**

_Touché, God! Touché!_

* * *

§

* * *

The sun was setting. She was numb. Never had an armchair felt more uncomfortable. He wasn't home yet.

Night was falling. She was miserable. Never had one single afternoon been more extenuating. He wasn't home yet.

The room sunk deeper into darkness. Misao sunk further into a state of shaken hollowness. Aoshi would be home soon.

_"Aoshi…"_

He didn't smile anymore. He didn't laugh anymore. Where had the bright future run off to? If she chased after it, could she catch up to it and request a second chance? If she found it, could she tie it up to a chair and punish it for having run away in the first place?

The house was quiet. Misao's thoughts were eerily silent, tiptoeing around in order to avoid becoming nuisances. What was taking him so long?

The living room was toasty. Her black choker was chafing her neck. The remembrance of a few hours back threatened to choke her. Aoshi should be home any minute now.

_"Aoshi…"_

He didn't come over for supper anymore. Where had the past locked itself away? If she found the key to its hiding place, could she restore it? If she cornered it, would it cower and bend to her whims?

This life was killing her. This life was taking everything away from them. The front door creaked open. Aoshi was home.

* * *

1 In reference to the **The Who** song, **I can see for miles**.

2 In reference to the **The Strokes** song, **Last Night**.

* * *

_Reviewer Responses:_ _

* * *

_

**To MZ.AMbER EYES: **You're totally right, sometimes I let myself get carried away by the side of me that saw to many Disney movies as a child and still bears a flicker of hope that Prince Charming will come along. Although, given my exploits with the male species last weekend – some guy hit on me with the accursed "do you come here often?" cliché of phrases –, I'm beginning to wonder how that illusion manages to keep on existing. Must be something in the water…

**To Vic'chonn: **I'm glad you like the Megumi and Sano dynamic because, in the future, I plan on exploring it further. I think it's a shame that only one of my chapters gave their relationship a more in-depth look: they truly are wonderful characters to work with. I had planned to keep going with the Mr. Kamiya vs. Kenshin-could-be-a-potential-boyfriend-for-my-one-and- only-sweet-virginal-daughter theme, but I decided to take some of the heat off of that and focus on finally giving Soujirou a proper introduction to the storyline, something I considered to be much more important for the plot's advancement. Nevertheless, there will be more "tender" Kenshin/Mr. Kamiya moments: let's just hope no one dies in the process… I'm happy to hear that you picked up on how significant the notion of perfection associated to the character of Tomoe is and it's nice to hear a reader relating to any specific topics I tamper with. Many of us have, at one point or another, become victims of this horrible thing that is trying to be prefect, attempting to please one and all and, because of that, I believe it to be a subject worth writing about it. Bulimia and anorexia aren't the only "hot teen themes" that a person can elaborate upon; sometimes the more trivial and viewed as less harmful is also a problem to be debated on and spoken of. About the relaxing bath thing, I believe you and when I find the time for someting other than quick showers, trust me, I plan to indulge. I'll get me some vanilla scented candles and after a nice warm soak, I'll be good as new! Thank you for your constant encouragement: it gives me the confidence necessary to step up and admit to the world that I want to be a writer and actually fight for it. This fic… I truly want it to become a novel. I'm working on it. Don't worry about leaving me long reviews; I absolutely adore those and there's no way, no how that you could make me sleepy. My e-mail is: anna-iram hotmail . com (minus the spaces). We can talk on messenger whenever – I don't feel stalked, so no worries – and, check out my xanga, if you'd like. With that, I must continue the looooong reviewers response list, so goodnight!

**To Ravyn: **First of all, thank you for all your compliments: I'm incredibly pleased to find you enjoying this story and its depiction of our beloved RK characters. I know that, given time, I am going to make at least half the people reading this story come to, if not like, at least not loathe Tomoe so much: it's a foolproof plan and I'm sure the story's progress will reveal my intentions. Yikes! I feel very sympathetic towards your dates! My dad can be pretty mean too, but then again, I am the youngest daughter so… I guess it comes with the territory, né? Keep reviewing me, keep reading and remember, any criticism, any suggestions are always welcome. Bye!

**To AquaVerve: **Never had I read a comparison quite like yours before. Hahahaha. Quite truthfully, it made me feel special though, it made me consider that perhaps I am writing something that people not only read for entertainment purposes, but because it touches them, even if it happens to be in a way similar to getting frisked at the airport – I swear, security there is this close to getting sued for sexual harassment! No need for apologies; I find your enthusiasm heartwarming, though I myself am sorry for being unable to oblige: life happens and writing, no matter how much I love it, must retreat to the sidelines until further notice sometimes. However, I will never stop writing; some chapters will simply take longer than others to come out. Thank you for your support.

**To Rabid Turtle: **I'm aware that Aoshi's troubles have been kept under wraps and, though I have not put a name to them yet, I was wondering… did this installment help any? I think it did, but feedback on that particular point would be greatly appreciated. Sure, Kaoru and Kenshin are cute together… most of the time, but they sure can cook up one hell of a storm, can't they? See, in my opinion, Kenshin's passive-aggressiveness and his eager to please attitude can't always be a good thing: I speak from personal experience when I say that that sort of posture can totally make things even worse when having it out in an argument. Thanks for reviewing: it's a wonderful consequence to uploading on fanfiction . net! Until next time!

**To ixchen: **Thanks for leaving a review and it's good to hear that you like this fic. Can I tell you a secret? I can't wait to see where all of this is going too!

**To Rhapsody07: **Patience is a virtue, my friend, and I fear that with these characters, patience is something that you simply will not be able to do without! They'll get together – I'm a K/K shipper, after all – but….from the look of things, it'll take a while. My advice, enjoy the stolen moments, 'cause that's what Kaoru will be doing in the meantime! Kissies and chapter 24 awaits!

**To Strawberry'd: **Initially, this story wasn't meant to be all that long. Apparently, prolix is my thing! Thanks for taking the time to review. I hope you liked this chapter.

**To bunny angel: **The goodnight/goodbye scene was one of my favorites to write: it took me a good while to get the shoe part right. Thanks for reading!

**To marstanuki: **I had totally forgotten about Valentine's Day this year – the advantage of being in college is that we don't have to make stupid arts n' crafts cards in class anymore – so, thanks for the reminder that that day still exists on the calendar. I absolutely agree with you: there's nothing more endearing about Kaoru than her imperfection, which is why I love writing her. She tends to say the wrong thing, to blow things out of proportion, to put too much heart into everything… she can make a mess of anything, but one smile and kind word, one glimpse at her noble intentions somehow rights all the wrongs. Megumi is… more complicated than most let on. The world hasn't been the kindest of places to her and, so, she feels the need to protect herself by adopting that whole urban blasé stance; making fun of others takes attention away from her and the vulnerability she doesn't want anyone to see. Misao… Misao can simply be too peppy for her own good. Thanks for the review and until next time!

**To missaw: **Thank you for proving to me just how awesome I can be! I knew I had it in me! Yes people, I am cool, deal with it! In other news: I am dead tired, so I'll cut this short and leave you a longer response next chapter. I tell you, it's such a thrill to receive so many reviews, but having to answer them all individually takes some time and wipes you out! Oh well, whatever am I complaining for? I'd rather do things this way than deal with receiving fewer reviews!

**To Sukoshi no Koinu: **By all means, if reading more of this story is what you desire, then rejoice for there is still loads more to go! Thank you for the review.

**To Misato-Katsuragi2:** Actually, you didn't get anything wrong, in the end Aoshi _was_ looking at Misao. Their story, as this chapter proves, is just a tad complicated for things to be made as obvious as they could be. I am very pleased to inform you that, next chapter there will be actual interaction between those two: I'm sure that that will make you happy! I'm sorry if you were confused by the Aoshi piece last chapter, but it was intentional – I have this obsession with subtext and I swear I would have a "nothing is what seems" bumper sticker stuck to my car if I actually owned one. As to when Kenshin is going to realize he likes Kaoru, I would have to say that your guess is as good as mine. The thing is… he's a guy – yes, contrarily to common belief, Kenshin is, above all else, a guy – and guys, they tend to process their feelings differently, their emotional intelligence is pretty basic, come to think of it. Some guys work with the three step program: see, want, take; the shier ones hesitate on that last part. Speaking seriously, though, no disrespect to guys or anything, but what is true – hell, they admit to it – is that males and females operate differently. We'll just have to see how it goes when the time comes, I guess. Man, bloodlust anyone? How do you know there will be carnage when he realizes his true emotions? Oh, right, because it's Kenshin we're talking about! As if anything could go over smoothly for him… Poor baby. Well, I love getting reviews from you so, please, keep it up and it's goodbye for now.

**To gwkitty: **Wow, your review was very flattering. I'm feeling kind of shy all of a sudden. Um… well, first things first: thank you for taking the time to leave a review; those always make my day! Second: it's cool that you only reviewed now, especially if you choose to keep it up and decide to turn this into a common thing. Third: you have no idea how positively radiant I get – seriously, I morph into little Miss Sunshine – when someone tells me that they feel moved by my writing, that it stirs something in them, emotionally speaking. My main goal is to get people emotionally involved and every time a reviewer brings it up, I feel enormously pleased with myself and figure "Hey, not too shabby": the way I see it, if people comment on it, then I'm not doing too bad a job. And last, but not least: thanks for being patient with my muse, which I'm figuring needs a name because, heck, calling it 'anonymous' just won't cut it anymore. So, wanna help me give it a name? Well, I'm off now! Bye!

**To De Lazy Lime: **Lets see… after this chapter, you tell me, do you think Aoshi knows where he's going with the decisions he's made thus far? Stop talking about a human guy Kenshin: thinking about it gets me into trouble! No, really! Last weekend, I was out at a club and, around 4 AM, I was dead tired – I drank this cocktail called Betty Boop that is like a bomb: it has Kahlua, Malibu, Vodka, pineapple juice and, if I'm not mistaken, Blue Curacao –, so I decided to take a seat on one of the semi-leather sofa thingies on the sides of the dance floor. Around me there were all of these couples making out, the music was way too loud – though the DJ was spinning some good rock tunes – and, as I closed my eyes to rest for a while, I thought to myself "when will I meet _my _Kenshin". I think I was falling asleep, I was so tired. An added weight beside me made me open my eyes, only to find this really ugly guy sitting next to me who whispers in my ear "so, do you come here often?"… Life is not without irony, is it? The universe seems to have a very acute sense of humor. Back to the story, though: the music for this installment has a peculiar characteristic. At times, the rhythms don't match the scene; it's on purpose, a way of showing that the world is still going on around the characters, that life doesn't always have a perfect soundtrack. It sounded nifty in my head. See you next post, dear. Before I take my leave, though: any songs on your playlist that you would recommend? I'm always up for discovering new tunes.

**To Ri-nee-chan: **Don't worry, my timetable doesn't allow me much free time to dabble with my writing too: it's the curse of student life. The first scene of the last chapter was indeed a puzzler: I wrote it on the plane coming back form my vacation in Argentina, pondering about how it must feel like to realize you're falling for someone the first time and comparing that experience with an airplane preparing to land. It was supposed to set the tone for Kaoru's revelation at the end of the installment. I find Aoshi an exceptionally hard character to write, which is why I am focusing so much on building, practically brick by brick, the world around him before actually delving into his mindset and his actions. I hope it helps me ease into that place of discomfort that Aoshi lives and breathes. As far as Tomoe goes: my lips are sealed, you will know what's what when the time comes. I am, however, glad that you were able to feel some sympathy for her, it means I'm managing to transform her into someone more likeable. Argentina was fabulous with a capital "F" and, as to the weather in Venezuela, I wouldn't know since I'm not currently living there. It's rainy in Rio de Janeiro right now, if you're curious. A great month to you too Ri-nee-chan! Take care of yourself and I hope to hear from you soon!

**To Mana Mihara: **"Sit back and enjoy": yep, that's my motto. I don't know that my writing style is mysterious but, then again, I am a Scorpio; mystery becomes me. The first chapter of this story popped into my head one restless night, when sleep would just not come to me. I had no idea where to go from there but I knew it meant something and decided not to fight it; instead, I let the liberty of being entirely clueless about the whole ordeal guide me and, slowly, the plot took shape. To be perfectly honest, I plan on turning this fic into an original work of fiction, hopefully something that will one day be published and that I can proudly call "my first novel". With that in mind, I tell people that I am currently writing a book when they get annoying and start asking too many questions – I've already started the revision on the first couple of chapters. When they pursue the topic – something I only bring up to get nosy persons off my back – I can only summarize it by saying: "it's about people". Your review tells me that, it tells me that you get it when I describe it that way, when I make it out to be the only thing that it is: it's about all of us. Following that thread of logic, I thank you for your beautiful, inspirational words, for leading me to trust in the knowledge that I am on the right track with this story, whichever it might be. Please keep reviewing me, make sure to tell me if you don't agree with something, if you have any suggestions for improvement. Please don't hesitate. Happy Easter and, once again, thank you.

**To Ocean Fish: **No sweetie, I don't hate you, I don't think I ever could, Try checking your e-mails more often – that way you can see that I answered the quiz you sent me – and write whenever, since it's always nice to hear from you. "A person to spend time with in comfortable contemplation"… in layman's terms, the guy is as dull as a blunt knife. I'm glad you liked chapters 22 and 23 and here's to hoping that number 24 was a hit too! Bye pookie!

* * *

**"So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, good night,  
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight.  
So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, adieu"**

* * *


	24. Back to square one

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: _When I wish upon a star… nothing happens… I've been put on hold by the heavens…

**Quick little message from author**: What to say about Chapter 24? The process of writing it was interrupted so many times that I'm surprised it finally got done. I had exams, projects, friendship issues – people just don't get me sometimes –, concerts – Placebo is incredible live, though the company could have been better; I have to stop bumming rides from people who don't like me –, and, last but certainly not least, my computer dying and my sister's boyfriend having to fix the damn thing so I could meet certain deadlines. Sometimes, I feel as if I live in dystopia, or something. Enough ranting; read away!

**Soundtrack: **_Part I:_ "Laughing City" – Eisley / _Part II:_ "Té para tres" (Unplugged version) – Soda Estereo / _Part III:_ "There she goes" – The LA's / _Part IV:_ "1979" – Smashing Pumpkins; "Le Monde Change" – Thievery Corporation / _Part V: _"My Sweet Prince" – Placebo / _Part VI: _"Fortunate Fool" – Jack Johnson

* * *

**Chapter 24: Back to square one**

* * *

****

"Couldn't you have picked a better place?"

"Your kind of place requires reservations made three months in advance."

"At the rate we're going, you should be making reservations every other day of the week."

"And deprive a couple who actually stands a chance from a nice romantic evening? Why bother?"

Smoothing the invisible creases on her beige corduroy miniskirt, Megumi stalled for time…and the right words, stuck to the roof of her mouth, heavy crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling that they were.

"Cat got your tongue? That would be a first!"

"You don't have to be mean…"

Gaze lingering on a water stain above his head, Sanosuke shifted uncomfortably in his seat, her soft whisper getting the better of him.

"I…" Sanosuke nervously licked his lips. "We need to be honest here, Meg."

"I don't want to fight," she stated fervently, eyes locked on the empty plate set before her.

"So you want to ignore the problem?"

"If you keep bringing it up, _then_ we have ourselves a problem; if you let it rest for a while, then…"

"Then, maybe it will go away?" His eyebrows knotted themselves together. "Good luck with that, babe."

Sighing, Megumi signaled for the waiter and ordered a club sandwich and a glass of mango juice.

"I'll have a plain burger and a coke. Oh, and hold the mayo on her sandwich, okay? She'll just send it back to the kitchen otherwise."

It was hard, she realized. Because he was thoughtful like that. Because he knew she hated mayonnaise. Because he knew she only drank her coffee black. Because he knew what colors didn't go well with her skin tone. Because he loved her about as much as she loved him.

"Why couldn't you just-"

"Be a doctor? Be a lawyer? Be an engineer? Be good enough?" Sanosuke interrupted. "You knew who I was from the start."

"You had a goal when I met you and you were dead set on it." Her knee bumped against the table as she crossed her legs. "What happened to that kind of determination? What has made you change your mind?"

Looking off to the side, he couldn't help but feel mournful. She wasn't the kind of girl who could understand the situation. Being successful was very important to her and seeing someone get sidetracked wasn't something she could possibly fathom.

"It's not what I want anymore," he explained. "The kind of life that's for you and me, it's not gonna work out if I go through with this."

"But you like it! You've always been happiest out on the field! I don't get it, Sano. I just don't understand…"

"I've been happy with the idea that playing football can take me places, Megumi. Going places, I can keep up with you, I can offer you something more than… than this perfectly ordinary restaurant," he said, a wave of his hand encompassing the eatery, decorated like any other, with service like any other. "Turns out that I'd rather give you ordinary than pay the price of wanting more than I can have."

"You're not making any sense… not that you ever do, or anything."

Megumi sought refuge in an old ritual: cast the first stone and you're not the sinner, deliver the first low blow and spare yourself. Attack before you have to end up defending yourself. Raise those barriers real high before it's too late and all you find yourself holding on to is love and little else.

"It's too damn competitive, Meg."

"You're really good at what you do, I'm sure a little competition can't hurt."

"You haven't seen what those guys are capable of."

"Are you telling me you're afraid?"

"Hell yeah I'm afraid!"

"Of what, for crying out loud?"

"Of becoming one of them, that's what!"

"And what, pray tell, is so bad about being competitive, Sanosuke Sagara?"

"Doing anything to win."

"Coming from you, Mr. Perseverance, I'm sorry to have to say that I still don't get it."

"…You fucking think I would be capable of doing _anything_ in order to win?"

"You won me over, didn't you?"

The waiter, tray in hand, came along and did away with what could only be called a nightmare. Sano could not believe his ears. Was that what his girl truly though of him? That he'd do anything to make it big?

Staring fixedly at the red and white label on the small 250ml soft drink's bottle, the young man's eyes trailed along and followed its movements, from the moment it was placed next to the plastic ashtray at the center of the table, to when it was uncapped, picked up and ready to be served.

Pouring into the glass, the dark liquid sloshed around, hissed and settled.

Taking a wad of bills out of his wallet, Sano threw some money on the table, stood up silently and walked away.

* * *

§

* * *

"I gave her some tea. It seemed to calm her down a bit," Misao said, walking toward the loveseat with her own cup of tea in hand.

Seating herself beside Aoshi, she swept her hand over the green lacquered coffee table and set down her drink.

"Aoshi, she can't go on like this."

"I'll take care of her," he declared in a tone that brooked no room for argument.

"No," Misao uttered gently, slowly shaking her head, "you already are; you have been for a long time now."

"What's your point?"

"My point is," she said, swallowing thickly, "she can't go on like this and neither can you."

In a flash, he was on his feet.

"As grateful as I am to you for helping out today, I do not think that you are in any position to presume to know what is best for my mother's care, Misao," he stated coolly.

"Had the clerk called the police, social services might have gotten involved. Frankly, I don't think that you are in any position to know what's best for you or your mother; you're too caught up in all of this!"

"She's my mother: getting caught up is natural."

His jaw was clenched so tightly, she truly feared for him; orthognathic surgery did not come in cheap.

"She's your mother and… and… you're being…selfish," she whispered, fretfully tracing the rim of the porcelain teacup with her index finger.

The silence engulfing the cozy sitting room was unpleasant. Aoshi's whole body had stiffened at the sound of her voice, but, other than that, no further displays of upset were evident, least of all angry words. The tall college student seemed to remain impervious to her accusation, quietly leaning against the mantelpiece, as he had been before; his back to her, his thoughts always locked away somewhere she couldn't quite reach.

"Don't get me wrong, I know your intentions are good," Misao rambled, tightly gripping the saucer in her hands, anything to hold on to more than welcome, "I just think that you can't… she needs help. You can't be watching her all the time. You have classes and stuff. My grandpa talked to you and so did my parents. They know you mean well, really, but that doesn't… you can't do this by yourself. She's too sick for you to be her caretaker anymore."

Establishing a solid friendship with silence whenever her neighbor was around wasn't that hard a feat, Misao thought. It was sad. They deserved better.

Yuriko Shinomori had been the most dedicated of single mothers alive. How she managed to reconcile time spent at the office with giving her son company and the attention he craved and deserved was a wonder. Everyone on the block had admired her for her determination, kindness and dedication.

She could cook a mean anything: from macaroni and cheese to veal saltimbocca to lemon meringue pie, Yuriko's cooking was heavenly.

Her good looks earned her a few jealous stares over the years as many a happily married husband checked her out when she was taking out the trash, picking up her mail or tending to her garden, worthy of more than a few pictures in publications such as _Veranda_ or _House&Garden_, as the entire neighborhood saw it. The beautiful woman's green thumb was gold and, despite attracting unwanted attention from the male species, her friendly nature quickly won her a ticket into everyone's hearts.

The Makimachis had grown especially fond of their next door neighbor, a young woman who had overcome adversity and loneliness by raising a polite, respectful little boy, all on her own. Grandfather Okina had, time and again, set her up on a series of disastrous blind dates, insisting that any man would be lucky to have "such a sensible broad" in their lives.

As true as that might have been, Yuriko refused to marry or get too attached to anyone; at night, Misao would sometimes hear her parents talking, her ear pressed to their bedroom door, and her mother would often say that she bore scars from the past that would not heal, that a man had wronged her in a most unforgivable way.

As for little Misao, she could only hope that no man ever wronged her so because she liked having a daddy and she found it kind of sad that Aoshi wasn't as privileged as she in that sense. Then again, Yuriko was his mommy so, the way she saw it, that more than made up for not having a father.

Misao was not the only one that idolized Yuriko; most women who knew her thought her admirable, her cheerfulness contagious, her zest for life unparalleled.

When the decline came, confusion was commonplace. The best kept secret on the block suddenly became a childlike woman by the name of Yuriko Shinomori.

Peering down at her chamomile tea, Misao frowned. She missed Ms. Shinomori.

"Thank you for this afternoon," Aoshi said impersonally, without facing her still. "I'll take it from here."

Porcelain clinked against wood. Misao stood up, her eyes not once straying, green strobe lights shooting through him, trying to glimpse at any emotion that the rippling on his long sleeved shirt could suggest. Stiff as a board did he remain.

"If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me," the high school senior murmured, wringing her hands together, standing stock still in a room so foreign for a place that, once upon a time, had been as familiar as her own home.

"I'll walk you to the door."

As they walked, not once did he look at her. When he held the front door open, Misao hesitated slightly before closing her hand over his own. Wordlessly they stood, hands on the doorknob, neither shying away, neither inching forward or pulling back.

Theirs was an awkward position, her body leaning forward, slightly pressed to his own, her hair tickling his chin. Craning her neck, she looked up into his eyes, unreadable and penetrating.

"You know where I'll be, Aoshi."

Her whisper carried on the breeze, sounding all the more sweet and inviting.

"Goodnight, Misao."

His voice stung, the usual rejection seemingly louder each time.

Out she went and in he stayed, as was customary when it came down to the two neighbors and their encounters. She lived on the outside and he sought refuge within himself. She waltzed out the door and he shut himself in, boarding the windows and barricading the door.

Step by step, Aoshi made it back into the now empty sitting room. His long strides took him to the edge of the loveseat, upon which he decided to rest for a few seconds before getting on with his life, before checking up on his mother.

Picking up the cup on the coffee table, he took a sip of the now cold tea. It tasted very sweet. Misao preferred honey to sugar.

Aoshi liked honey.

* * *

§

* * *

Tap, tap, tap.

Scribble, scribble, scribble.

Erase, erase, erase.

Tap, tap, tap.

Scribble, scribble, scribble.

Erase, erase, erase.

Tap, tap, tap.

Scribble, scribble – oh to hell with it!

Rip! Rip! Rip!

The night would not prove fruitful for aspiring writers working on school plays hung up on scary feelings and cute boys, that was for sure.

Euphemisms…

The night was a crappy one for Kaoru Kamiya, who couldn't stop thinking about possibly having fallen for Kenshin Himura, a near realization that had ended badly as she freaked out over the little things in order to ignore her emotions.

Come to think of it, even that explanation sounded horribly euphemistic to her ears, but it was all she could come up with so as to not feel so lousy and angry at herself for playing the fool at the annual Halloween gathering hosted by her parents.

Fool, foolish, idiot, village idiot, state idiot, national idiot, continental idiot, globally idiotic, moronic, imbecile, etc; there were only too many words, too many nouns and adjectives that fit her neurotic behavior from the previous night all too well.

But, the one that rung truest as to what went down had an easy time fending off potential competitors; it stood alone in conveying the full weight of Kaoru's stupidity and cowardice:

_"**Mistake**… it was all a **mistake**."_

Leave it to Kaoru to figure out the chaos she was carelessly creating too little too late. Then again, the likelihood of the dreaded L-word finally entering one's life, whether true or not, holds the motivational power for people to make mistakes, preserving their hearts a plausible alibi.

For one night, and one night only, the real Ms. Writer was at a loss for words, and the cure to this terrible illness that had befallen her was evident: lest she apologize and set things right, the end of trees was oh so near.

In the name of all rainforests, tap, tap, tapping her pen away, she knew what needed to be done: it was time to switch to recycled paper… and, of course, to pay a wronged young man a visit with an earnest apology on hand; if her palm didn't get too sweaty she might actually be able to read the "I'm sorry" and the rest of the request for forgiveness that she had inked down on it.

Tying her sneakers, Kaoru smiled wide. She couldn't wait to see Kenshin again, despite the circumstances. After all, she now had a goal in mind to distract her on the way over.

* * *

§

* * *

In this life, there was only one certainty for a guy like him: there are no constants.

_"Everything always stays the same."_

_"You met me; I'd say that was a pivotal point in your life, Ken."_

_"My life's the same."_

_"From your viewpoint sure; I'm sure the world around you sees it quite differently, though."_

_"I look the same, I feel the same."_

_"And then you'll fool around with some girl, and everything will look up and feel new. You'll take another hit, and everything will feel much more intense. You'll dress up for a cotillion, or something else equally un-cool and you will look different. Nothing stays the same, Ken, everything changes all the time."_

_"I want a change."_

_"And the immediate answer, my friend, is, as usual, in the palm of your hand." _

The café wasn't too far, so he didn't really consider driving there. Besides, Kenshin might take note of the license plate and that wasn't something that needed to happen yet; if it could be avoided, then all the better.

_"What the hell are you doing?"_

_"Oh, this?__ Well, not to sound crude or anything, but I believe this is called payback."_

_"Are you insane? When he sees those flat tires and the state the bumper's in, they'll know it was you!"_

_"You and I, Ken, we don't look or act like vandals, now do we? It will be fine, so don't worry."_

_"As long as you don't let yourself get caught…"_

_"There's the spirit!"_

_"This is very wrong."_

_"…"_

_"Hand me the can of spray."_

_"You needn't have asked."_

When he rounded the corner, he wasn't surprised to see him leaning against the building's wall, his arms crossed over his chest. Though he would have much rather sat in a booth sipping a latte, he hadn't been naïve enough to actually believe that something so pleasant would take place.

_"If you don't mind my asking, what is it with you and leaning against walls at night, looking all broody and intimidating?"_

_"I mind."_

_"Answer me anyway."_

_"Go back inside."_

_"You're a strange guy, Kenshin Himura."_

_"You're hiding something."_

_"Perceptive too."_

_"I'm not in the mood."_

_"You never are, it would seem."_

They weren't friends anymore and he was not considered trustworthy – with good reason – so he wasn't really expecting to find him inside, gladly awaiting their meeting, chatting up the waitress – not that he had ever been talkative –, warmly waving him over as soon as he walked through the establishment's door.

_"Aren't you going to order anything?"_

_"I'm not thirsty."_

_"You know, I got the distinct feeling that that waitress was checking you out."_

_"It wasn't a feeling; she was."_

_"She's pretty."_

_"I'll have an Irish coffee."_

_"Order the coffee, the flask's on me."_

Soujiro couldn't deny it, though: he missed the days when they had practically been Siamese. As teenagers they had been inseparable, rooming together at an elite boarding school, smoking in secret behind the bleachers, sneaking out every night, nursing their hangovers together; they had had a sweet deal going for them.

_"You forgot to put a sock on the door."_

_"You found somewhere else to sleep."_

_"The other guys were sympathetic to my plight; they've all been down that road at least once."_

_"I, for one, lost track."_

_"Sorry, in the heat of the moment socks tend to be the last thing on my mind. Next time, I'll try and remember."_

_"Sounds like a plan."_

_"You remembered the sock, didn't you Kenshin? You did it on purpose, wiseass."_

_"You'll never be able to prove anything."_

To be frank, this watered down version of the Kenshin Himura he had known was sorely disappointing and boring. Well, two years of peeing in a cup every week could do that to a person, he supposed.

Shuffling his feet and merrily whistling an old one hit wonder, Soujiro had to wonder just how much his world had changed. Then again, it wasn't all that surprising; he had always known that, in life, there were no constants, everything was merely temporary.

That being said – or, rather, thought –, the temporary aspect of things did not keep past happenings from reemerging in the present; were it so, it would be awfully simplistic, wouldn't it? And where was the fun in that?

"Good evening, Kenshin."

"Soujiro."

"Shall we go inside then?" he asked, gesturing toward the café's entrance.

"I'd rather you be quick about telling me why you set up this meeting… if you would be so kind," Kenshin said, arms still crossed, his back still very much against the wall.

"You and I Ken, we walk the same path," his former classmate stated, slowly tracing his fingers against the building's brick exterior. "Someday you will be able to understand that, I suppose."

Turning his moonlit eyes to the sky, Soujiro let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding in and patiently waited for the man beside him to say something, to seal his fate once and for all.

"You're right Soujiro," Kenshin voiced gently, his eyes locked on the other side of the street, on the stout woman pushing a pram into the bookstore, "we probably have more in common than I care to admit. That doesn't change anything, though."

"How many times must I tell you, Kenshin Himura, that everything is constantly changing?"

Smiling humorlessly, the redhead slipped his hands in his pockets and gracefully pushed himself off the wall.

"Have _you _changed?"

Threading his fingers together, Soujiro cradled the back of his head with his hands and gave the question some serious thought before breaking out into a face-splitting grin.

"Of course!"

"I'm impressed," Kenshin spoke mirthlessly, "you can still lie like nobody's business. In fact, and please, correct me if I'm wrong, you've probably gotten even better at being deceitful."

"Practice makes perfect, doesn't it?" Soujiro asked, nothing but innocence reflected in his stare.

Chuckling hollowly, Kenshin had to hand it to him: he was good.

"So, what do you want?"

"Always straight to the point," Soujiro considered, nodding his head in a knowing manner. "I rather liked that about you; it shows that you're a man of character."

"That's not precisely what I'd call it."

"Honestly? Neither would I."

They both laughed. How could they laugh at a time like this? Whatever was going to happen, whatever reasons Soujiro had for being in town were deadly serious, Kenshin was sure of it. So why is it that they found themselves laughing together, given the circumstances? Why would something like that happen?

Perhaps it was that the both of them couldn't help but appreciate the ridiculous state of their situation, the irony of their current positions.

Soujiro Seta and Kenshin Himura had been friends, roommates, very nearly brothers. They had always been on the same side, rooted for the same sports teams and had similar tastes in music.

All of a sudden, the pair was standing on a relatively busy street, unvoiced threats suspended in the stale air, looking at each other from different perspectives. It was as if they were both wearing new glasses, a trip to the ophthalmologist having made everything perfectly clear.

Suddenly, they were declared enemies: wasn't that a hoot?

"From an old friend to another, I'd advise you to watch your back Kenshin," said Soujiro after the slight ice breaker.

"That's what all of this was about? To give me a fair warning?"

"Do not be so suspicious or surprised; you know the way these things work."

"So now you're a man of honor Soujiro? Interesting."

"I don't care much for honor; I merely thought I owed you this courtesy."

"As much as I would like to believe you," Kenshin spoke, his face stony, "I know you too well to trust your words."

"You always were one of the smart ones Ken," the dark-haired man uttered cheerily. "It's a pity you didn't want to have a cup of Joe with me; I would have certainly enjoyed reminiscing on old times with an old friend."

"Leaving so soon?"

"Actually, I have a few errands to run and I do pride myself in being a punctual man: time is money, as they say. Not to worry though, we'll talk again soon."

"Another warning? What is it that you want Soujiro?"

"Oh no, you wouldn't _dare_ make me ruin the surprise, would you?"

"I wouldn't _dream_ of it."

Giving each other a final long, hard look, Soujiro at last deemed it time for them to part ways. With a tilt of his head, he turned around and headed off, throwing a wave over his shoulder and a lightly exclaimed "I'll see you soon!" that unnerved more than it did reassure. What exactly was Soujiro Seta up to?

Well, he had his plans, he had his orders and he had the occasional contemplative moment wherein he submitted his carefully constructed theories to the test. People like Kenshin, they only served to prove him right: yes, all the time, everything is changing... except the nature of man. Once a killer, always a killer, as they say.

If every rule has an exception, then there are no constants in life, but for men; one could always count on the predictability of one such as Kenshin Himura in an ever-changing world.

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Running after him, her loose bun came undone and the heel of her right pump broke off – of all the times for Constanza Bastos footwear to fail her!

Limping toward his still figure, she was a pitiful sight: pale as she was, her lipstick looked too bright, her eye shadow too dark. Hair whipping against the hot wind, she looked wild and unprotected, far too thin and frail, her arrogant, challenging airs nowhere to be found.

It was truly a different Megumi that lightly tapped his shoulder, but the side of her standing behind him was a far cry from mysterious, nothing he hadn't seen before.

The silent creature that timidly stepped before him when he refused to turn around, took off both shoes and merely stood there, bare feet rooted to warm asphalt, was a stranger to the world, but, somehow, he knew her all too well, knew what would come next.

"Sanosuke, I didn't mean..."

There it was, her loose fumbling for apologetic words that never came because he was always too swift at putting an end to her misery.

"It's okay Meg."

He didn't mean it. He never did. But... she was the one. She was everything. Fuck, she even lit up the room like corny, hopeless romantics tend to say.

And so, he didn't mean it, but he said it anyway, for reasons that went beyond his understanding. He did it all for her.

"I _want_ to support you."

He didn't doubt it. He _wanted _to understand her fixation on handbags and shoes, even support it, but it escaped him every time, the reasons as to why a person would be obsessed with such things.

He was sure she truly wanted to get him and stand by him on this, but, just as he would chalk up all her mysteries to the fact that she was a woman, his misgivings would most likely be interpreted as consequences of his narrow-mindedness and his lack of smarts.

"I know you do."

But she knew he didn't, not really. He wouldn't have walked out on her otherwise.

That was a first, leaving her to sit alone across from an empty chair in a restaurant. Sitting there while the other customers chanced pitiful glances at her was awful; it left the bitterest taste in her mouth.

He didn't understand. He put himself down so much – not that she was any help either –, thought so very little of himself, that he was blind to the real reasons behind their most recent cycle of nasty arguments.

She wasn't being selfish. She wasn't behaving like a spoiled brat. She simply wanted Sanosuke to shine, to live to his true potential, to challenge himself, to get over his inferiority complex.

He was incredibly talented; there was no way he wouldn't make it big. If he gave himself a chance, he could prove to be a football player of legend. He couldn't give that up just because he felt a little insecure. He couldn't settle for ordinary, not when the opportunity for much more was tugging at his jockstraps, doing nothing short of flashing him to grab his attention and reel him in. He couldn't pass it all up because he sometimes felt inadequate; she wouldn't let him.

"You're so talented Sano..."

And they were back to square one.

So what if he was? Was football the only thing he would get to be good at in life? He didn't want to be his father!

Oh yeah, he had met his biological father: what a piece of work! It had happened during the summer. He had also met his half-brothers. He had seen how they lived, how the kids were being raised.

His 'father' was a washed-up nobody who had, once upon a time, dreamt of being somebody out on the field.

Sanosuke had seen his future in a crabby, embittered middle-aged man's present, one with a glorious past that hit a dead end with an injured knee.

He didn't want it. He wanted to be more than a stereotype. He wanted to be like Captain Sagara or his sweet, hardworking wife. He didn't want a meager injury to be the end of his life.

"It's not enough for me."

"But cooking, _that's_ fulfilling?"

"I like it," with a shrug of his shoulders, said he.

"You're going to end up flipping burgers somewhere Sano! That's your dream?"

"Yeah Megumi, hand me a Burger King uniform and I'll be fucking set for life!" He cried out angrily. "After all, that's all I could ever amount to, aspire to, ain't it?"

"I'm sorry Sano, but I don't know what you want anymore."

Sometimes, silence can be much more powerful than a presidential speech vowing famine's end; in it, there can be more sincerity than in any combination of words.

"Answer me this, Megumi: if I quit football, would I still have you?"

"How dare you think so little of me!"

Her voice trembled, her hands shook, her eyes grew misty.

"Would I?" He repeated softly, shutting out her indignation.

"...yes," she whispered, eyes screwed shut, huge hot tears rolling down her cheeks, bouncing off her chin and into the unfamiliar terrain of cloth and buttons that was her blouse.

Tightly he hugged her, burying his face in any available crevice of her, in any wisp and tendril that smelt of her, in the angora that touch alone could separate from a thousand impostors.

He knew it was a lie, but it felt nice to hear, to know that she would abandon honesty to spare him the pain that came with awareness that he couldn't shake off. He wouldn't be able to hold her much longer. She was never meant to be his in the first place.

As for Megumi, she drew her arms around him, enfolding him in warmth and breath that felt like home, and rubbed his back, tenderly slipping a hand beneath his shirt, his soft skin small comfort for a womannsideringonsidering that she knew he didn'enfohe first place.pain that came with awareness that he couldn that knew she wasn't being believed.

She meant it though; how couldn't she if he was the one?

Though atypical, Sanosuke Sagara was, in short and making good use of every loophole in the book, her prince, the one every little girl awaits. There was no white stallion, no castle, no gorgeous sunset to ride off into and no golden crown; in fact, all he had was a mouth on him that not even disinfectant could wash clean.

That, however, did not change the one true thing that Megumi was incapable of refuting: he was her Prince Charming. Even if the horse had been a bus, even if the castle resumed itself to the occasional B&B on spring break and such, even if there was in their relationship more prose than poetry, and even if nobility was not in his blood, it was in his heart, just as his way, his charm and his honesty had made the defective prototype of the male species that was Sanosuke seep into her bloodstream, every tiny bit of him, down to the last drop, clogging her arteries.

"Don't leave me like that again Sano," she whispered in his ear. "Next time, I won't come running after you, you know, so don't get used to it."

"I'll say jump and you'll say how high," he uttered cockily.

"You go and half your wardrobe will have been cut through!"

"You would leave me to parade around in my birthday suit?"

"Crotch-less pants, Sano."

"You sure are good at threats, babe."

"Just don't leave."

"Deal."

In the back of his mind, Sanosuke wondered if perhaps he shouldn't be the one begging for that same thing, pleading for her to stay.

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First there came a ding, and then the elevator doors parted. Stepping out into the hallway, Kenshin felt the weight of the world settle between his shoulders.

The night had gone by in a blur, the city lost what little innocence it retained, the hours heaping up into an untouched pile of dirty plates, cogs and wheels as he lost track of time.

In other words, he had silently fumed for the longest of whiles, driving around with no clear destination in mind, and had ended up at Tomoe's house, seeking advice and comfort… neither of which he had found, at least not in a way that would permanently relax him.

On the other hand, he had managed to wash his plate after eating some leftovers before getting rushed out of the kitchen by an angry housekeeper – the slightly obsessive compulsive side of him had needed that small pick-me-up – and in the drawing room he had been able to take a siesta, albeit a restless, terribly prolonged one. In fact, he had been lucky that curling up in that horridly uncomfortable slipper chair hadn't caused permanent damage.

Driving back by the coastline had been somewhat calming but, all the same, he was worked up and anxiety ridden; not even the sea had the power to get Soujiro Seta out of his head.

Nope, not sleep, not good company, not the ocean, not surfers and other early risers, not soft light or the sunrise, not tapes of relaxing sounds that Megumi had left in the jeep… nothing.

And then he saw her…

It wasn't that his heart skipped a beat, that a thousand love songs rang out in his brain, that his breath hitched or anything like that at all; it was the fact that she was _there_ that put a stop to all his anguish, such was his surprise.

See, when it's 5:30 AM, you didn't sleep in your apartment, you're distraught over the very idea of your less than spotless past catching up with you and your stomach is howling and demanding your undivided attention, not to mention a headache is slowly pounding every last brain cell in your possession to mush, a huddled form on your doorstep can freeze time and put even the most harrowing of thoughts on standby, a more pressing question canceling everything else out:

_"What the hell is Kaoru doing here, draped across the floor at my front door?"_

In Kenshin's own humble opinion, the girl sure had a way of putting things in perspective; or rather, she had a way of making herself the sudden center of attention without even trying.

And that was how, yet again, he came across the schoolgirl, asleep and inconvenient.

Suddenly, Kenshin couldn't help but crack a small smile.

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Reviewer Responses:

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**To chibiBrEn: **Thanks for the encouragement. What do you know, reviewing can actually be nice!

**To gwkitty: **First of all, thanks for your support. After my grandmother's death my father has definitely had his ups and downs, but all in all, the family – myself included – has dealt with it rather well. Again, thank you. As you can see by what your own eyes have read, Kenshin and Kaoru have not made up yet but, considering that she's asleep and in awkward position – yet again – what happens next is bound to be slightly memorable. I don't know how it's going to play out yet, but I'm hoping there will be some humor – I've been on far too serious a note lately. Also, though her general attitude can be classified as being self-centered, which I agree is entirely common amongst teens, I hope you now understand the darker side of Misao and how it relates to Aoshi in more than feeling infatuated. As far as my writing is concerned, yes, my mood can greatly affect the production so, in a sense, being something of a mood swinger helps; the story keeps undulating, different emotional scales flavoring it – or at least I think that's what happens. Anyway, the muse continues to be anonymous because, for the life of me, I can't get past Bob – apparently, we're both on the same wavelength here! So, until either you or I can think up something better, the ever elusive Bob salutes you and, as for me, the slave to his every whim, I bid you goodnight.

**To AquaVerve: **Well gee, I'm not sure that my story is the best one on the site – have you read some of the things Rozefire and Linay cook up? –, but thank you for the compliment! Writing through the mess can, at times be difficult, but for an aspiring writer I guess life without a pen just wouldn't be life at all. Thanks and till next time!

**To Ri-nee-chan: **So… reviews get longer and longer, hunh? And the problem with that would be…? Personally, I think it's awesome! Honestly, I can't believe you liked Chapter 23 that much! You must have been the only one! Sure, people liked it, but they were rather busy being frustrated at the characters' behavior – understandably so –, that I doubt anyone would classify that particular post as one of their favorites. Not to say I'm not happy about it, just surprised. Thank you for your condolences: what you said wasn't corny at all, it was what your heart felt was right to say and, trust me, I greatly appreciated it. You've been visiting my xanga? Hmm… I wonder why you haven't left an itsy bitsy comment… Oh well, I'm just happy you review as often as you do! I'm glad you like my portrayal of Sano; with that in mind, I hope this chapter's depiction of him was up to par. Also you seemed to really be into the Ms. Shinomori drama, which is why I hope this chapter helps you fill the blanks a bit, to get a sense of the person she used to be in the past. The idea for the class with the Hollywood movie actually sprung from personal experience, seeing as I am currently taking a cinema class – it's required for journalism students at my university. The actual scene came to me, more specifically, when the teacher – a really brilliant guy of questionable sexuality – decided to show us some parts of "Citizen Kane" and a teary-eyed blonde appeared on the screen. Your thoughts regarding my development of Soujiro's character… my dear, you know me too well. As usual all will be explained soon enough and, rest assured, not everything is as it seems. I won't spoil the Kiyosato revelation, but I guarantee, be it assumption a,b,c or d, that it's juicy. I'm relieved to hear that last chapter's K/K moment wasn't as cheesy as I though it to be – sometimes I go a bit overboard with the saccharine, I know. Okay, so in this chapter you didn't really get to see how their next meeting goes, but you at least got a glimpse of how it starts, with Kaoru snoring away at the loft's door at 5:30 AM: bound to be interesting, hunh? I know it doesn't seem as if Aoshi ever could have cracked a smile in his life and, as I see it, he was probably a very serious little boy, but I think he sometimes did laugh and smile. Not often, mind you, but he was probably much more emotionally stable and open than he is now. After all, there has to be reason for him to be so unbelievably reserved, am I right? In my opinion, the structure of your reviews is just fine; I have quite a nice time reading them and answering them, so stick around and be yourself and you will keep me happy and inspired. Thank you for your kind words, always. Sure, university can be a killer, but I'm nothing if not a survivor – no Destiny's Child association whatsoever. Good look with all life aspects and I hope you're having better weather over there than here – yesterday the temperature dropped 13º and it's been rainy ever since. Take care of yourself and, yes, your review was soon enough. Kissies! Bye!

**To Vic'chonn: **I just hope that I've managed to post this before you left for London! Sorry about the delay, but my friggin' computer died on me and very nearly gave me a heart attack. I totally got the point of your last review and I felt incredibly glad to hear – more like read – that you understood where I was coming from – how is it that you always manage to get what I am trying to say? What happens between four thin walls, behind closed doors, in private: those are most definitely my points of interest when it comes to developing this story. As for last chapter, you are right, Kaoru lacks patience – something that is completely natural if you consider she's only 17 (not that I'm much older, or anything) and she's never been in a relationship before (not that she and Kenshin have a relationship – and trust is something that only comes with time. Don't worry though, our gal might have some growing up to do but I think she's proved that she's smart and she will come to understand what it takes to be around Kenshin, considering that at the moment that is pretty much all she wants. As you can see, I agree with your views on the advice Sano gave Kaoru, and you, ever so skillfully, offhandedly discovered the root of his problems with Megumi: they keep too many things to themselves, they ignore the conflict rather than talk it out or work it out. In the future – not to give anything away or anything – that understanding is going to be very important. Thanks again for the Bonnie Pink translation, have a fabulous time abroad and take heed of your own advice: there is always a silver lining! I'll be writing to you shortly, okay? Besitos y buen viaje!

**To vanyD: **Sorry if the time everything took place in was a bit confusing. Let's see: the family meeting and the misunderstanding between Kaoru and Kenshin came before Kaoru's talk with Sano at the beach and Misao's encounter with Aoshi's mother at the pharmacy. I hope that cleared some things up for you. Your other concern: the soundtrack section. The list of songs I make reference to at the top of the page is a musical guide to let the readers know which songs inspired me during the creative process or which ones I think fit a certain scene. As you can tell, the chapter is divided in parts by a line and a squiggly symbol that I begun adopting since last chapter; the tracks I name off apply to either one or several parts of the chapter, in accordance to how I classify them (_Part I,_ _Part II,_ etc.). I hope that things make more sense now. However, if you are still unsure about something, don't hesitate to ask, alright? I'm not much of a Sano and Kaoru shipper but… let's just say, things might get interesting as the story unfolds, shall we? Good luck to you as well and see you next chappie!

**To thime: **I took your comment on metaphors to heart and tried to tone it down a bit. That being said, I do not believe directness to be a handicap, but I'm not much of an objective soul so… bear that in mind as you read on. Poetry means a lot to me and I will use a bit of a poetic brush at times when painting a scene or describing certain emotions; I'm not a great fan of the congruent triangle (feel, think, act) when applied to writing so may that be your warning label for future reading. Everyone seems to think Soujiro is an ass… I wonder why that is? Hahhaha. All in due time my friend: explanations will be forthcoming. Thank you for all the compliments. Let's hope I don't take as long to update next time, hunh? Bye now!

**To Rabid Turtle: **I'm glad you were into the time changes on chapter 23; I worked hard on those! When I started writing the story, I didn't expect Kaoru and Sano to get so close, but seeing as though they are both dating or hoping to date complicated people – though in very different ways and for different reasons – I guess it winded up being inevitable. And that is how we ended up with a big brother/lil sister dynamic: it was completely unplanned. It's good to know that the characters feel real and not made-up: that's what I'm aiming for. Sou, slippery? What could possibly make you say that? Hahahaha. Continuing with the confusing Aoshi situation, this chapter must have been more of an eye-opener, or at least that's what I was shooting for. Thank you for reviewing, for your patience, lots of love and till next update!

**To Aryanne: **I'm glad to have you back on the reviewers' lot: you were dearly missed! Yes, Halloween is a special time for people to let their inner weirdoes out without major repercussions, hence the Kamiya Sonny and Cher craze. So far, nearly everyone that has reviewed seems to have a bone to pick with Soujiro and I, for the life of me, cannot fathom why. After all, he was so nice and charming last chapter… wasn't he? Hahhaah. Good luck with your own story. I'll check your xanga more regularly, when my computer stops dying on me every few weeks, okay? Bye.

**To Strawberry'd: **I know, I've been far too serious lately. It's good that you like it, but I have to get back to my funny roots, if only for a short while, wouldn't you agree? Oh well, here's to hoping that aspiration works out – muses can be so unpredictable, you know. If you think Kaoru is going to break off what doesn't exist between herself and Kenshin, then you aren't giving the girl enough credit. She gets mad pretty often; she should get over it quite as often, don't you find? Or at least, suck it up and wait until bringing up her concerns makes more sense – they are at too early a stage in their friendship to bring up trust issues. May this chapter have answered a few questions you had regarding Aoshi and Misao; may it have brought up many more – I'm not a sadist, I swear! Kissies and until next update!

**To Rhapsody07: **You know, the stolen moments are my personal favorites as well! Though there weren't any between K/K in this installment, there were one or two in the Sano/Meg piece. I hope they were as good for you as they were for me.

**To pyramidgirl89: **Don't kick yourself over the quality of your writing; how do you think I used to write when I was in high school? How do you think I'm gonna feel about how I write now when I'm older? It's natural to improve with time, just keep practicing, get blisters from holding on to your pen too tight for far too long and keep it up. Time is what everything boils down to. Bye and good luck!

**To missaw: **I agree, Kaoru did overreact. However, she was very vulnerable and fragile at the time of her untimely meeting with Soujiro: the poor dear was freaking out over finding out that she was falling for Kenshin Himura! She can't really be blamed for being all jumpy and paranoid and overly emotional, now can she? I like cherries, but I don't think that my PC very much cares for them, seeing as it decides to quit on me whenever it feels like it. I'll do my best to update in a timely fashion next time, alright? Thank you for reviewing and let's see what happens next chapter; until then, keep safe and be curious – it can be a wonderful asset sometimes.

**To De Lazy Lime: **Thank you so much for the musical recommendations – too bad my computer died and I'm gonna have to download the songs all over again. I really liked the sound of "Thievery Corporation" – pretty damn eclectic, actually. Leaving you speechless mustn't be easy, so I will definitely be taking that as a compliment. What can I say, I am a drama queen with a capital D and a heavy golden crown as of late – it's time for some humor, wouldn't you say? I think Kaoru was right about her concerns but, in my opinion, she mucked up because they are just barely getting to know one another and she is going to have to deal with the fact that Kenshin is a rather reserved fellow if she plans on him sticking around. It's not that she doesn't have a point – nothing could be further from the truth – it's just that she's going to have to deal with the reality of having a problematic Kenshin in her life. Don't worry, disastrous nights are common for me and I'm not easily brought to tears: creepy guys who think they are the shit make me laugh way more than they make me cry. Your grandmother is right: men are frogs, and don't I know it. I still hope that I will one day meet a guy who is right for me – let's leave perfection to the clueless dreamers of the world – that will have plenty of pros and cons, but that will somehow complete me, as I will him – no sense in being selfish and wanting to get the better part of the deal. Relationships are complicated, that's for sure and men go on and on about women being undecipherable but what they don't get is that their "simplicity" baffles us to the point that we are no nearer to understanding them, than them us. Basically, we're screwed.

Thank you for being so incredibly supportive and for being so patient because, let's face it, I know I am a slowpoke when it comes down to writing and many other things. Have wonderful holidays now that you are off the hook and, hopefully, I'll be bale to say the same thing by the end of June. Take care and smile a lot – endorphins are important! Until next we meet again.

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**Okay, that's it for now, I am outta here!**


	25. Breakfast

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY:_ For more information, refer to the header of past twenty-four chapters.

**Quick little message from author:** For the first time ever, this message will truly be a quickie. Sorry for being MIA for so long. Finals are over. My computer is back to normal – for now. Enjoy the chapter; it's especially dedicated to all K/K fans out there. Adios and thank you for your support.

**Soundtrack: **"Good Song" – Blur / "Asas" – Maskavo / "Middle of nowhere" – Hot hot heat / "'Til kingdom come" – Coldplay

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**Chapter 25: Breakfast**

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The surprise wasn't fading. The question remained unanswered. She was a heavy sleeper.

Kenshin had tried whispering her name, poking her, calling her loudly, even tickling her and, though he got a few sleepy giggles out of her – that, to be fair, sounded more like gurgling at the back of her throat –, the end result had been the same throughout each and every attempt: Kaoru was as dead to the world as she had been when first found by him.

How she managed to sleepily smile and snore away when her body was pressed against the chillingly cold granite floor was a wonder, especially since no blankets or sheets wrapped themselves in a tangle round her legs and the early mornings were always significantly nippy, no matter the season.

Resting his back against the wall, Kenshin let the situation sink in and chuckled. Somehow, Kaoru always found a way to make him smile, even if she didn't know it, even if their circumstances were as dire as he thought they very well could be.

Tenderly, he combed his fingers through her long hair and felt a dull ache build in his chest. She always made him feel so good. She always made him feel so bad. She was so lively and clueless; she just didn't know any better, did she?

An innocent. A true innocent. He hadn't bumped into one of those in a long time. What was someone like her doing sleeping in the hallway? What was someone like her doing, coming to see him of all people?

Kenshin knew that she wanted openness and honesty and optimism and trust. He knew she was asking too much too soon. He sighed. He knew that time wasn't the problem: the things she wanted, he simply couldn't give.

His nimble fingers, ensnared in the thick mass of satiny black, gently caressed her scalp and delicately glided down cascading ebony strands, splayed unevenly in a sort of sheltering cocoon that partially hid her face from view.

For the hundredth time, Kenshin mused that he would give anything for things to be different. Maybe, if the past had not been as it was, he could have been a more lighthearted, open person in the present. Maybe he would be able to disappoint less people every day if he had turned out differently, if he had done things another way, if he had been less of an idiot and seen the truth for what it was.

Bygones were bygones… except when they weren't actually gone; then, they were just there, standing by, provoking and mocking, never quite getting the hint and hitting the road.

Grimacing, the redhead quickly decided that his mind was not were it ought to be; except that it had been glued to the same spot and causing him the exact same amount of worry since the previous day so… it couldn't really be helped, now could it?

Moodily pondering how to stop pondering, Little Miss Sunshine intervened by mumbling incoherently and rolling onto her back. In spite of getting cornered further against the wall, lest his legs be crunched by her full bodyweight, Kenshin was glad that she had, once again, put a plug on his depressive thinking by grasping his attention.

"Kaoru?"

She grumbled in response, but did not open her eyes.

"Kaoru?"

Her eyelashes fluttered delicately; it would seem that this time Sleeping Beauty was just about ready to awaken. Since he had been trying to get her to rise and shine for a lengthy period of time, Kenshin should have been thrilled…right? All honesty aside, right. Truthfully, the peace and quiet had been nice and soothing while it lasted; what came next was a mystery that could perhaps not be up to par, so… all honesty aside: right, he was thrilled.

"Kaoru, wake up."

"…Five more minutes," she mumbled.

"Kaoru, you're killing your back just lying there, now wake up," he insisted.

"…Five more minutes, dad."

"I'm not your father, Kaoru."

"Wha…?" Opening her eyes, Kaoru tried to focus her hazy vision on something other than her arm, a hole being burnt into it by a merciless ray of light. "Wha… what's going on?"

"Good morning, Kaoru."

Pulling her arm to her chest and away from the scorching sunbeam that was torturing her, Kaoru craned her head to the side and found Kenshin Himura gently smiling at her.

"Oh shit," she croaked out, "did I…? Oh shit, I fee… I fell… I fell asleep…? Crap."

Shifting around sleepily, her bleary eyes scanned the hallway absently, her gaze finally resting on the window at the end of the corridor that let her know without shadow of a doubt that it was light out. If she recalled correctly, it had barely been nightfall when she had determinedly planted herself at the loft's door. When Kenshin hadn't shown, she had taken her copy of Danilo Kis's book, _Garden, Ashes_, out of her knapsack and made herself comfortable, _too_ comfortable apparently. Just how long had she been asleep?

"What time is it?" She sat up properly and gave him her full attention, all the while worrying her bottom lip.

Kenshin gave his wristwatch a quick glance. "It's going to be six AM."

"Oh shit."

Scrambling for her bag, Kaoru frantically scoured its contents for her cellphone. Her parents were_ so_ going to kill her! Her hand clamped over it and she squealed triumphantly, only to give a frustrated shriek once she realized it wouldn't even turn on. Her battery was just as dead as she was. What a lovely pair they made. Too bad she wasn't an organ donor; at least someone should benefit from the situation: D.O.A was most definitely the name of the game!

"Kaoru, are you alright?" He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. "You look a little pale…er than usual."

On her knees, looking to the window, the young girl didn't even pay attention to Kenshin's presence, let alone his words; the cogs in her head were far too busy working, grinding together in the hopes of coming up with some sort of solution to her plight.

_"For future reference, always bring coffee to stakeouts…"_

"Kaoru, maybe we should go inside…?"

Whipping her head around, Kaoru's blue eyes fixed themselves intently on the man behind her. "Can I use your phone?"

"Uh… sure, be my guest," said Kenshin, quickly getting to his feet.

"Thanks."

It was strange, but Kenshin always seemed to be something of a paradox. This came through in anything he did. For one, he could be incredibly clumsy, which did not mean that he couldn't display unbelievable grace every once in a while. For someone who moved through life kind of awkwardly, Kaoru often found herself amazed by his ability to do two things at the same time without breaking a sweat, flinching, or even getting slightly confused. Now, for instance, closing his hand on her forearm, he pulled her up while inserting the loft's key in the brass keyhole and opening the door; she couldn't even chew gum and walk at the same time without tripping or choking.

_"Leave it to Kenshin to keep me guessing_,_"_ she thought as she slung her knapsack over her shoulder.

"After you," he said, holding her by the elbow to let her in.

So far, everything had been smooth sailing. They hadn't talked much and she had cursed repeatedly, yes, but no swearwords had been directed _at _him and she hadn't been snide or anything so, all things considered, they seemed to be on the right track. That was a huge relief. Of course, Kenshin had not been counting on locking eyes with her once he ushered her into the apartment. Getting lost in the moment was always so easy, wasn't it? Why _was_ that?

"Are you still mad?" he asked as soon as he managed to find his voice.

Slowly shaking her head, Kaoru's lips curled into a soft smile. "I shouldn't push you."

"It's okay."

"No, I'm sorry."

"Me too."

Awkward. They had made peace with each other but, suddenly, they were back to being awkward, like at the very beginning. Blushing, Kaoru pulled away, hugged herself and closed her eyes, at this point willing to do anything to relieve herself of the tense silence that had grabbed a hold of them.

"Damn I'm sleepy," she muttered, looking around the loft as if it were the first time she had been there. Eerily enough, it somehow _felt_ like the first time.

"Would you like some juice or water?" Kenshin asked as he locked the door.

"I'd say no, but my throat's kind of dry so… sure, water's fine."

"The phone's on the counter, alright?" he said, walking toward the refrigerator.

"Thanks."

Sliding her knapsack off her shoulder, Kaoru set it down by her feet and reached for the phone. Her hands were shaking a little.

As he poured them both two tall glasses of orange juice, from the corner of his eye Kenshin caught the schoolgirl blankly staring at the telephone, as if waiting for it to be so high-tech that it would make the call without her using her fingers or, hell, even saying the number out loud. Finally, she seemed to realize – thought dawned on her quite slowly, truth be told – that, unless she did the dialing, nothing would be resolved.

Nervously tapping her fingers against the kitchen island, the girl waited with baited breath for something of a miracle.

"Misao, I'm going to be grounded again!" she shrieked into the receiver as soon as someone picked up on the other side of the line. Kenshin winced and nearly dropped the frying pan he had taken out from one of the cabinets beneath the sink.

"They called you? My parents are going to kill me! I'm dead meat! Say hello to the abattoir Kaoru, because you, my dear, are going down! I can't believe this! I am _so_ screwed!"

Lightly sautéing chopped slices of ham, Kenshin struggled to steady his grasp on the pan's handle, the rising tones of her already shrill voice making getting through cooking breakfast challenging.

"… You told them _that_ and they bought it? What do you know, there is a God!"

Apparently, her prayers had been answered. The redhead chuckled and continued to grate parmesan into a bowl; she went from one mood to the next as easily as switching lanes, didn't she? Oh well, at least she was smiling again and that was what mattered most, in the end, wasn't it?

"Actually… I'm at Kenshin and Sano's place…" said Kaoru, innocently enough twirling a strand of her long hair round her index finger.

Chuckling yet again, Kenshin knew that that explanation would not blow over well, especially in the eyes of a teenager. When he heard Kaoru's loud yelp, he kept on calmly beating eggs, then switched to chopping mint leaves, unsurprised by the outcome of mentioning that it was a little past six AM and she just so happened to be at a boy's house.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Misao!"

Growling at the telephone, the black-haired girl went conspicuously red in the face; the boy by the stove merely smirked and took care not to nick his finger with the knife he was using.

"Yes, he's here, practically next to me, and no, we did _not_ have sex, so quit it already, unless you need me to put him on the phone so he can vouch for me, which he will because he didn't spend the night here, which just means that he was probably out banging someone else! So yeah, I have an alibi and, yes, I would be ashamed to use it, so stop thinking perverted thoughts and tell me exactly what you told my parents, word for word, and hurry it up!"

If he didn't cut himself, it was only due to sheer dumb luck. Kaoru might have been innocent, but that sure didn't stop her from being blunt…

"Hold on, which movie did you say we were watching when I supposedly fell asleep?" Pausing to hear the answer, Kaoru chanced a glimpse at the loft's owner. Whatever he was cooking sure smelled good! "_Gigi_, got it. Anything else I need to know before calling up the parental units?"

Adding pepper to the mixture, Kenshin stirred the slightly fried ham, minced mint leaves and some clotted cream into the bowl before pouring everything into the skillet. Now, for the tomatoes!

"Yes Misao, I love you too and _you_ have made me wake up at the crack of dawn more times than I can count; the way I see it, we're even. See you at school."

After hanging up, Kaoru decided that she needed a minute or two to brace herself before lying to her parents. Hence, she propped her elbows on the counter and openly stared at the boy she had been waiting all night and dawn to see. …And what a sight it was!

"So…" Kenshin started off, without turning around, "aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask what?" she queried, absently wondering if sleeping on the floor had mussed her hair into bed head mayhem. She needed a mirror.

"If I _banged_ anyone last night Kaoru, what else?"

When he set the glass of orange juice in front of her, she was still too shocked to speak. He looked deeply amused, which only made her feel much more embarrassed than she already was.

"Sorry about that," Kaoru sheepishly voiced, looking anywhere but directly at him, "I got kind of carried away there, didn't I?"

He shrugged. "It happens."

The moment Kenshin turned around, Kaoru took a big gulp of orange juice, sat down on a stool and, with his words in mind, decided to do the unthinkable.

"So… did you?"

The college student came, yet again, very close to hacking off one of his fingers once her question reached his ears. Staring at the tomato wedges and green pepper strips lying on the wooden cutting board, he had to ask himself why she would possibly care. What's more, he had to wonder… did he care whether she cared or not? Did any single variable make a difference?

Silently, he went back to slicing onions, realizing that he was angry at her for being so bold as to ask him that, coming to terms with the fact that he was also angry at himself for caring, for thinking that her interest could mean the world to him.

"Well, Kaoru, last night, after I left the strip club and before I actually made it to the motel, there was this one girl at a bar…"

"Alright already, I get it!" Kaoru cried out. "It's none of my business and I won't ask again. Fair enough?"

"Works for me, I guess," he declared with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Although… If you have nothing to hide, then I don't see why you can't just give me a straight answer…"

"Kaoru," he began, setting down the knife, "do you remember when we walked in here today and you said you shouldn't push me?"

"I'm no goldfish (1), how could I forget?" she commented, idly wondering whose Physics homework she would be copying and just how to coerce Molly Lieberman, grade-A nerd, into lending her her History notes.

"Well, you're pushing me."

Startled, Kaoru gathered that it was time for her to zip it and let the intrigue eat at her without fussing. Either that or she could always try another, less direct, approach…

"Sorry, didn't mean to make you feel emotionally claustrophobic," she apologized, though a tad sarcastically.

"It's fine." Kenshin allowed himself a small smile as he added the vegetables to another pan, knowing that his houseguest was not at all sorry about getting far too up close and personal with him.

"So, sexual innuendos aside, where _were_ you last night, _Kenny_?" Batting her eyelashes at the redhead, Kaoru delighted in the delicious scent assaulting her nostrils. "I spent a really long time waiting for you, you know. For falling asleep on your doorstep, you at least owe me the answer to _that_ question."

"Now Kaoru, for _that_ I think I owe you breakfast," he said, pointing at the stove, "and breakfast, as you can see, is only minutes away from being done. Not to worry, I won't let you wash the dishes."

Could there be anything more annoying on the planet than his good humored smile? Why was he being so evasive? Maybe he had slept with someone and that… _that_ would _suck_! But his less than funny joke about a bar, a girl and a strip club indicated that she had made a wrong assumption. In that case…

"You were at your ex-girlfriend's place," Kaoru stated matter-of-factly.

"Oro? How did you know!"

So he admitted it! And here she had been hoping to have read him all wrong. Taking a quick swig from the glass set in front of her, the high school senior wanted nothing more than to click her heels and get magically whisked away to her house: Kansas sure was looking great from her current viewpoint.

"Kaoru, how did you know? Did I mention it earlier? I don't recall, but…"

Scratching his head, Kenshin lifted the lid from the skillet and breathed in the pleasant aroma of seasoned simmered tomatoes, green peppers and onion rings.

"I didn't. Chalk it up to female intuition or something," she noncommittally assured him. What else was she supposed to say? That it was as obvious as a pudgy streaker running across a soccer field in a jam-packed stadium? As if!

"Men should have that," Kenshin mentioned, adding an extra pinch of salt to the just-about-done veggies.

"Should have what?"

"Intuition, like women." Using the back of his hand, he wiped his forehead partially clear of sweat. "Maybe we wouldn't make such silly mistakes if we had a sixth sense like women do."

"Or you could always try thinking with your _brain_; that's what it's there for, after all," she quipped.

Chuckling, Kenshin stirred the contents of the pan. "You don't give men much credit, Kaoru. We're not all _that_ bad, you know."

"No, you're right," she said, eyes closed, nodding firmly, "some of you are worse than even I can fathom."

It was with a few laughs that the lavender-eyed male acknowledged that remark.

"One day, you will meet a guy that will make you take all that back, I'm certain," he pointed out wisely.

"You promise?"

"I don't have to," he said, taking a couple of plates out of one of the cupboards.

"Let me guess: you don't make promises you can't keep."

"I try not to, yes, but that's not what I meant to say."

"Then enlighten me," she demanded, a broad grin coming to life on her lips. Drumming her fingers against the counter, she patiently awaited his answer.

"Karma," he stated.

"Karma?" she asked.

"Karma," he reaffirmed. "For all the times you hold men in general in derision, one will come along just to spite you."

"So, what you're saying is that Mr. Perfect is going to waltz into my life any day now to prove me wrong because of a little something called karma." Kaoru stood up and walked to the refrigerator. "Did I get it right?" she asked skeptically, arched eyebrow, Cheshire grin and all.

"Right as rain," he asserted with a nod and another one of his occasional blinding smiles. "Life is not without irony, as you very well now."

"No, _really_?" Kaoru took the orange juice carton out from the refrigerator and refilled her glass. She was usually pretty thirsty in the mornings.

"You would be surprised," Kenshin insisted, choosing to ignore her regular sarcastic streak. Turning around, he pointed a wooden spoon at her. "Here, taste this."

Grasping the spoon, Kaoru blew softly at the smoky piece of tomato resting on it, and then popped it into her mouth.

"Mmm, heavenly," she whispered, eyes closed, avidly chewing. Kenshin sure knew how to cook! Swallowing over and done with, the girl immediately took it upon herself to continue the odd conversation her host had initiated. "So… do you think that this Mr. Right would be able to cook, clean, do his own laundry _and _use his brain as God intended it? Is that what you're saying?"

"Well, if that's what you find all men incapable of doing, then yes, I suppose so." Once he tasted the tomatoes himself, he had to disagree with Kaoru; in his opinion, they were slightly insipid. "Are you sure this doesn't need more salt?"

"The tomatoes are just fine," she said with a wave of her hand. "Now work with me _Kenny_! Will he be handsome and smart to boot?"

"I already told you, Kaoru: whatever you think is impossible will happen. Think of it as a big cosmic joke, if you will."

"Trust me; if Mr. Right's real, then it won't be a joke, but more like a miracle."

"Miracles _are_ said to happen. Of course, I'm not much of a believer in Divine Providence. Take your black pants, for instance; I don't know what you stained them with, but it's not coming off."

"_My_ pants?" Kaoru looked down at her jeans and wondered if he was colorblind. "Which pants? What stain?"

"Oh, remember the frat party?" he asked. At her nod, he continued, "Well, after… everything, I sent your clothes to the drycleaners. I would have washed them myself, but the label said 'dry cleaning only' _and_ you had kind of, partly thrown up a bit on yourself, so…well, I think the rest goes without saying, right?"

The schoolgirl hid her flushed face in her hands. Why was that night destined to forevermore come back to bite her tush? Men sure were tactless, weren't they?

"No kidding Kenshin," she said, her voice muffled by her palms. "Thanks for humiliating me so early in the morning!"

Chuckling, Kenshin took a pair of forks and knives out from a drawer. "Don't give yourself a hard time over it; what happened, happened."

Seeing as though Kaoru was still hiding from him when he set the table – or, rather, the kitchen island – he pressed on.

"The point is that it would seem that nothing on this earth can salvage your pants. A white stain on the right pant leg simply refuses to be bested."

"Maybe you picked someplace sucky to clean my pants," she considered.

"Oh no," he disagreed, turning off the stove, "they always do a really good job there. I would know, since I'm a regular customer."

"Then maybe my pants were sucky."

"Satin can be a tricky fabric when it comes to stains."

"You know too much about keeping clothes clean for your own good, Kenshin."

"You never know when knowledge of any kind will come in handy, Kaoru."

Serving their plates, the redhead smiled to himself. The food smelled wonderful and he was starving. He hoped she enjoyed her breakfast.

"Buon apetit!" he exclaimed, a delicious-looking plate of chow being set right under her nose.

"Yum, omelette!" she squealed enthusiastically.

"Not omelette."

"Sorry?"

Taking a seat on the stool beside hers, Kenshin explained, "It's not an omelette."

"…Then what is it?" she asked, hesitantly poking at the slice of what seemed to be an omelette with her fork. "And, should I _eat_ it? Maybe I should just stick to the tomatoes…?"

"It's a frittata di prosciuto a la Kenshin with a sidedish of simmered tomatoes."

Staring down at her plate, Kaoru had to hand it to him: he always went all out. There was just this thing about him, in the way he did and said things that made him come across as terribly unique. Nothing about Kenshin Himura was common and no action he took was by the book: he walked his own path. He was one of a kind.

"There's nothing ordinary about you, is there _Kenny_?"

Her smile was contagious, but he refused to succumb to its spell.

"Just try the frittata, please," he insisted, desperately attempting to ignore how everything about her had a way of affecting him, how her happiness tended to become his own and how her sadness somehow swiftly turned into his concern and worry.

"Chef's orders?"

"Chef's request."

"Well, when you put it that way…"

Knife and fork in hand, Kaoru did as asked and put the architecture major's frittata to the test.

"Well?" he wondered aloud expectantly.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed while chewing.

A frown creased Kenshin's brow. "What?"

"Can I come have breakfast here every single day?" Beaming, she eagerly piled some vegetables on her fork. "This omelette is awesome!"

"Frittata," he corrected.

"Whatever. It's really tasty!"

"Thank you."

With her mouth full, Kaoru winked at him, letting him know that he was most welcome. Happy with her approval, Kenshin dug in and savored his own meal, occasionally swiping glimpses of her. She always looked so concentrated when eating; apparently, she took her food pretty darn seriously.

When she noticed Kenshin was looking her way, she made it a point to catch his eye. Then, she began rubbing her belly.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm! Yummy!"

In no time, her antics had Kenshin shaking with suppressed laughter. She, of course, was swift to follow and soon, the pair was openly laughing and tearing up.

Once they both calmed down, the loft's silence caught up with them. Suddenly they were alone together, no petty arguments keeping them apart, no one else around to disturb them, no last minute ringing phones to ruin the moment; it was, suddenly, just them having breakfast.

Given their characters, they were bound to blush, look away and fumble for something to say that would kill the mood and the awkwardness. And so, they did just that.

"You can use my shower after you call your parents. I'll drive you to school."

"Thanks, Kenshin."

The world's order now properly restored, the two resumed eating, feeling slightly nervous and fidgety all the same, but also much more relaxed and accepting of the situation. They were alone together and, butterflies aside, it felt quite comfortable.

It was just like that, between one bite and another, that Kaoru randomly realized that she was having breakfast in the company of her so-called Mr. Perfect. Kenshin had been right; it did feel like something of a sick joke. But, Kenshin had also been somewhat off about one tiny thing: in the simplest of ways, this discovery had the well tempered flavor of a small miracle, a mixture of companionship and the heavenly taste of homemade food on the tip of her tongue and in the sound of cutlery being put to good use. Not to mention his laughter, the perfect seasoning for any dish, so rare yet so undeniably right.

Such was their story, in every wrong way, possible; in every right way, impossible. And, oddly enough, she wouldn't change a thing.

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Note ( 1 ): A goldfish's memory lasts three seconds.

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_Reviewer Responses_

**To Aryanne: **First of all I want to say that I'm sorry for not having read the latest chapter of Silver Cross yet. Life has been sort of a mess as of late and I haven't disposed of the time to check in on one of my favorite stories, which sucks because I know that it's winding down to a close, so… prepare to hear from me soon via review, alright? As to your appreciations on the last chapter, I would have to agree with you and warn that Soujiro isn't ENTIRELY evil, only partially so. He's sort of warped, but he's not that bad… depending on your definition of bad and evil, of course. I agree; Megumi should be happy to have a husband that cooks – how many women wouldn't jump at the chance of having a spouse who can prepare gourmet meals? – but, Sano and the kitsune _do_ come from different worlds and are still young. Maybe they just haven't figured out exactly what they want yet? Communication is definitely something they haven't mastered yet and I think that they are still struggling to understand what love truly means. Megumi is a complicated character and I think part of the reason many people don't like her is because she's quite two-faced. The real Megumi remains to be seen, since she's always only putting people on edge, acting high and mighty and building a fortress round herself and I do think it is hard to relate to or appreciate someone who rarely shows who and what they are. That is only made worse by the fact that she can be blatantly honest about what she thinks of others without being honest with herself. Still, it's exactly all those imperfections that she hides behind her Miss Perfect attitude that make me enjoy writing about her so much. I am truly happy that you enjoyed chapter 24 and I hope that this glimpse into the K/K dynamic was up to par. Until next time!

**To pyramidgirl89: **I said it once in one of this story's chapters – I can't recall which one –, that clichés exist because they are true, they are recurrent. Many people tend to write about the same things, sometimes because it sells, and I don't just mean that there's a beneficial financial outcome to the production, but because it tends to be popular. Popular turns into a cliché every single time. Kaoru getting kidnapped sells, in terms of popularity. Aside from that type of cliché, there are certain themes that none of us can escape from, not only in literature, but in real life, like: meeting the parents, the boy meets girl / girl meets boy scenario, students in high school, the in-crowd versus the freaks, nerds and outsiders, etc. People write about these topics because they are real, they are true and very much relatable. In that sense, cliché cannot be avoided. Write what comes from your heart, even if it comes out in the form of an overdone subject; it's the way you portray the story you set out to tell that makes all the difference in the world. It's natural to be confused and feel clueless sometimes, but try to trust yourself and what you believe in. Thank you for your support.

**To en route: **I think it's great that you noticed how I cut back on the metaphors and that you found the portrayal of Sano and Megumi's relationship realistic. I know that last chapter had no K/K interaction, so I sincerely hope that this new chapter, in some small way, made up for that. I don't think that Kaoru worries more about Kenshin than he does her; I think that she is more open with her emotions than he is. Anything he feels, he tries to close off from; anything she feels, even if frightening, she manages to embrace in the long run. It's not that he cares less, it's just that he's different from her, he has more experience and more emotional baggage, which makes it harder for him to accept that he cares about someone, let alone take action. Don't worry, I don't plan on making Kaoru the helpless romantic that gets all goggle-eyed and worships the ground Kenshin walks upon, while he only gives her a crumb or two of his affection to keep her satisfied. Thanks for your encouragement. See you soon!

**To Crewel: **Sano and Megumi are also one of my favorite couples and I have great plans for them in this story! I am aware that communication is not their forte, so we will all have to see how that progresses, now won't we? Unfortunately, this chapter centers solely around Kenshin and Kaoru – them being the protagonists and all – but, don't you worry, your favorite pairing will be appearing soon, alright? Thank you so much for three straight hours of reading – you have no idea what that truly means to me – and stay tuned for more! Bye!

**To missaw: **You, running out of adjectives? I seriously doubt that! After all, you seem pretty resourceful to me – especially what with having Microsoft Word and all to lend you a hand. Nevertheless, if it is another 'awesome' that you wish to throw my way, I won't complain, but rather cling to it greedily. To be honest, the Meg/Sano scene from last chapter was my favorite one to write and, luckily, it seems to have had positive acceptance among my regular reviewers so… that's a relief! I don't know if you ought to be giving me more or less cookies, but if you could possible up the amount of hours in a day, I know you would be doing both of us a huge favor! Thank you for always being here for me, it means a lot. Kissies.

**To Rhapsody07: **Sadly, chapter 25 didn't come out as soon as both you and I wished. Making Kaoru and Kenshin interact without making them behave completely out of character is harder than it seems. Thanks for your comments and for your consistent reading. It's great to know that, after so long, you're still around and reading this story. Bye now!

**To**** Vic'chonn: **Gracias por los e-mails y espero que todo te salga de maravilla en London. Of course we'll keep in touch; now that I'm free from university it will be so much easier! Go to the London Eye as many times as you can – after it reopens, of course, seeing as it was closed after the terrorist attack – because they plan on moving it from London and transporting it to, if I'm not mistaken, France. Good luck, good music and good vibes! I'll write to you shortly, alright? Besitos y cuídate mucho, nunca sabes cuando los locos terroristas vuelvan a atacar – menos mal que estabas en Escocia.

**To Queeney: **A new regular reviewer? I'm psyched – a writer can never get enough of those! Thank you for finding the time to read all 24 chapters and welcome to the reviewer responses section; it will be my pleasure to have you around for as long as you are willing!

**To Ocean Fish: **Pookie, chill! I don't hate you alright? Didn't I already say I could never hate you? Now relax, enjoy the story, give me feedback and all is forgiven, okay? This chapter goes out to you, a true K/K shipper at heart! Take care of yourself and, if you need any help with the progress of your stagnant stories, let me know what I can do to help, deal? Bye pookie.

**To gwkitty: **Thanks for sympathizing with me and my life's current state. I have to organize myself, find my center and sort everything out. I was very pleased when I read your review, especially in regard to your comments on the Sano/Meg scene last chapter. You are right about one thing: eventually patience runs out… I don't know if this chapter was 'amazing', as you dubbed how a K/K reencounter piece written by me would be, but I tried my best and took my time trying to keep it all as real as possible, without forgetting to add in that tiny touch of poetry that, in my opinion, makes all the difference in the world. I hope I didn't disappoint you and met your expectations as best as I was able to. Your views of Misao and Aoshi were dead on! It's so easy to hastily judge them both. Misao is bubbly and flakey; Aoshi is cold and stoic: I'm sorry, but people can always be described by more than just two measly adjectives, there is always something more lurking underneath the surface and I find it wonderful that you managed to perceive that that was the point I was trying to get across when writing about these two characters. As for naming my muse: I'm not so sure about the names you have offered thus far. What do you think of Geronimo? Let me know in your next review!

**To Nyako: **I'm glad that you found last chapter's Sano and Megumi storyline to be realistic and relatable, because that's what I was going for, even with all the flowery embellishments that I'm prone to use in my writing. Thank you for reviewing and for your e-mail, which I will be responding to shortly.

**To Lara**: Another fan of my take on the Sano and Megumi love tug-of-war? Yey! Thanks for the feedback.

**To Inu22: **Thanks for pointing out the confusion that arises from mixing third voice and first voice narration; I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, also, for your wonderful comments, for adding me to your favorite story's list and, specifically, for referring to this fic as 'kick ass'! Keep reviewing, alright?

**To julien: **Here's a new fix for your '180º SP&T' addiction! It's very flattering that you called in sick to keep reading, really! I hope that that sacrifice was rewarded by a fitting reading experience. Thanks for reviewing!

**To Ri-nee-chan: **As much as I missed you, I understand that you had to take your time to review and, considering that I took so very long to answer your review, rather than trying to kill you, I'd call us even. I'm glad that last chapter grew on you – it wasn't easy to digest, so I understand. Actually, I very much liked the fact that you called my writing 'soft', at least in the way you intended the word to mean that the situations I pen down aren't going all out in one specific genre, but rather remain slightly innocent. Soujiro is just SO freaking bipolar that he's terribly fun to write! I am thrilled that my Kaoru is truly getting under your skin – and in a good way too! – because, some people are concerned that I will turn her into something of a lovesick fool – kind of like a Misao without Aoshi's background story to help us understand why he is actually worth the trouble – so, it comes to me as a great relief to read that you understand that that is not the case. In answer to your questions: 1) The typo in last chapter is actually not a typo but a problem with the uploading of the document on fanfiction ( . ) net . The original line reads: _"As for Megumi, she drew her arms around him, enfolding him in warmth and breath that felt like home, and rubbed his back, tenderly slipping a hand beneath his shirt, his soft skin small comfort for a womannsideringonsidering that she knew he didn'enfohe first place.pain that came with awareness that he couldn that knew she wasn't being believed."_ 2) You seem to be the only person to have picked up on that particularly cryptic sentence. As to why Kenshin would have peed into a cup for two years… it would be really funny if some sort of "accident" had occurred with his 'equipment' wouldn't you agree? Hahahahha. That aside, since I know for a fact that you were anticipating the K/K moment in this chapter – bet you didn't think I would make the entire chapter about them, did you? – I feel compelled to ask: was it any good? What was your favorite part? What do you think I could have played differently? What was least important, in you opinion? Irene, thank you for everything, your encouragement means a great deal to me and your feedback is most important. Kissies and take care.

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**To one and all, thank you for sticking around. To this website, thank you for very nearly giving me an ulcer. Goodnight everyone.

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	26. Acute Angles

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY:_ I've not a contract or any other legal document declaring me sole or common proprietor of the RK series. So, what does that make me? A broke wannabe.

**Quick little message from author: **Let's just get right down to business, shall we? Enjoy.

**Soundtrack: **_Part I:_ "Bizarre Love Triangle" – Frente / _Part II:_ "February Wind" – Stephen Speaks; "Y Control" – Yeah yeah yeahs / _Part III:_ "Sunday Mondays" – Vanessa Paradis; "Sitting, waiting, wishing" – Jack Johnson / _Part IV_ + _Part V:_ "Sitting, waiting, wishing" – Jack Johnson / _Part VI_ + _Part VII:_ "We will become silhouettes" – The Shins / _Part VIII:_ "Fiddle and the Drum" – A Perfect Circle / _Part IX:_ "Cosy in the Rocket" – Psapp / _Part X: _"Charm Attack" – Leona Naess; "New Slang" – The Shins; "Tears & Rain" – James Blunt.

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**Chapter 26: Acute angles**

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There are 3 different types of triangles: equilateral, isosceles and scalene. An equilateral triangle has three identical angles and the isosceles triangle has but two equal sides. The messiest, most uneven and unfair one of them all, however, would have to be the scalene triangle, whose three sides each have a different measurement. Each side of this triangle has a singular story to tell, has a different opinion to share and, unfortunately, when speaking of angles, one of them has no choice other than to accept being the smallest, most acute of them.

The consolation prize for those stuck in a scalene triangle is that, whichever side they're on, all angles added up always equal 180º, which can only mean that, eventually, things will change, possibly inverting to the polar opposite of a current situation.

The blessing and curse of whomever sits on the acute angle is that, as everything shifts, divides and unites itself until the final outcome is there to stay, its lesser size will allow a more panoramic view of unfolding events. He who sits atop the tiniest angle sees and hears more, therefore able to wreak more havoc without drawing suspicion. Of course, the person with such privileged insider knowledge could also seek to lend a helping hand, warning others on what they have yet to understand for themselves.

Somehow, lest they start another story, fit themselves into another triangle or square, the acute angles always miss out; their purpose served, they are no longer integral parts of the shape that will, in time, dissolve with the unraveling of mysteries and fade into nothingness, seeing as nothing lasts forever and given that, when the truth is known, the lies that served to preserve and harm are no longer necessary.

Only to infinity do parallel lines belong.

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Sitting at a table on the restaurant's terrace, all words that drifted to Tomoe's ears had slurred together and lost meaning long ago.

Her lunch remained untouched as she blankly stared at the glass of white wine before her, sunbeams dancing over and curling into strands of her inky hair.

"Roses, Lisa? Isn't that a little cliché?"

"If it's traditional you want, then roses are your safest bet, Mrs. Yukishiro."

"I'm not too sure we want roses. What are our other options?"

"Well, orchids, for instance, are easy to get all year round."

"What about peonies?"

Looking down at her hands, Tomoe couldn't help but notice that no engagement ring adorned either of her ten fingers. There was no platinum solitaire, no princess-cut, oval-cut or emerald-cut diamond, no cushion-cut or pear-shaped center stone, no sapphire, no rubies and no quartz; there simply was no ring.

One, two three, four five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten: each finger inspected and accounted for was hauntingly bare.

"Thermographical printing is less expensive, but I truly believe that engraving is the way to go."

"I agree. What type of paper do you think we should use?"

"I didn't bring any samples with me, so we can look into that later, but, initially, I would suggest handmade paper; it's much more special."

"As long as floral prints are out of the question… I find them horrendous and awfully tacky. Could you believe that Sheila Pike's niece had the gall to send out pink wedding invitations with hearts and flowers on them? Such bad taste!"

"I'll be sure to leave any floral print samples at home once we get started on the invitations, Mrs. Yukishiro."

Fingering the banded hem of her gray chiffon top, Tomoe mentally ran through the guest list. Curiously enough, it wasn't as tiresome a task as she had anticipated: since she couldn't come up with any names, it took no time at all to reach the point of considering the impracticality of sending out invitations when she very well knew that there would be no wedding. Her mother, however, with the help of Lisa Fiore, wedding planner of wedding planners, seemed to be of another opinion.

"Location is everything," Lisa said, enthusiasm coloring every spoken word, "and ambience is equally important."

"Which interior decorator do you have in mind?"

"Our first focus should be geographical. After that, we can concentrate on creating the proper décor and hiring the right person for the job."

Nodding, Hana Yukishiro smiled wide. "I am going to have to thank Penny for recommending you, Lisa. Her daughter's wedding was wonderful… Would I be mistaken in thinking that you can top it off?"

"I am always up for a challenge, Mrs. Yukishiro," the young wedding planner stated, taking a sip of her wine, her short pixie red hair shockingly vibrant when caught in a slant of golden sunlight.

The day – or rather night – Tomoe left, he didn't say a word. She didn't give him the chance to. She wasn't good at goodbyes, so she simply chose to avoid them altogether.

The shadowy cloak of the night had been both her friend and enemy when she took off. She had made a choice and she couldn't help feeling proud of herself when she hauled the yellow taxi to the curb, her mind saying over and over that she had made the right decision.

Being inside the cab that drove her to the airport, that made its way through busy streets and rushed by neon signs and familiar sites, however, was like being trapped in Amy Lowell's _Taxi_ ( 1 ). She knew then, in her heart, that leaving Santiago would only serve one purpose: to wound her.

Her mind was made up and the tears she never showed proved that she had gone through with the plan all the same. She ran away. Not for the first time in her life, she fled. Straight in the wrong direction.

"…petunias and I told her that was the worst idea I…"

When she left Kenshin, he was pretty silent too. The only difference was that he had known, probably for some time even. They both had. They both had known it was the only smart thing to be done, even if, for a while, their hearts refused to listen.

From the beginning it had been a mistake and they had gone along with it anyway, because of something they felt, because they believed they could move on together, that they could get away from the past if they tried hard enough.

It was funny enough to consider, looking back, how they had held on so steadfastly to such naïve convictions, when neither of them was the least bit foolish or unworldly. How could they have thought things to be so simple? Soujiro was proof enough that, no matter how they chose to lead their lives, their sins would not be forgotten.

"…not the wedding cake that had been a mistake…"

It had been night. He had remained still as a statue, stare lost in a place she had no hope of treading, of pulling him away from. He was drowning and refused to let go of her hand. He hadn't understood at the time that she was nothing but extra weight and that, cutting her loose, it was probably the only solution, the only way to break the surface.

And so, he had only turned his head to look her square in the eye when she was at the door, suitcases in hand and splayed tears on her soul.

He had quickly averted his gaze and resignedly waited for the right sound, the unfair yet right sound.

The door closing and two hearts breaking; oddly enough, the door made more noise.

"…simply the most hideous centerpieces I had ever…"

Her mother: so excited, so driven. A PR expert cleaning up the mess. Milk spilled on the carpet. Porcelain figurine clumsily knocked down.

"…a beautiful dress and the groom looked utterly…"

Well-meaning. But wrong. So very wrong.

"…ready to faint because she couldn't possibly breathe…"

Maybe she had made the wrong decision. Maybe she had come back precisely for that reason, to take one final look at what she wouldn't be missing, at who she truly had to let go of and move on.

The baby wasn't Kenshin's…but that didn't feel wrong. She no longer wanted to share her life with him, as she had often imagined would be the case before and…that was okay. It was more than okay; it was right.

"…told her you can never be too careful with…"

Standing up, Tomoe placed both hands on the white terrace railing and looked out at the ocean, glimmering in the distance. She remembered summers spent sailing with Kenshin.

She remembered the sun, the sea spray and the heated kisses. She remembered the smell of coconut tanning oil, the feel of his hands in her hair and the rushing wind blowing against the sails while rolling waves gently rocked their boat. She was thankful. She smiled, remembering how, at times like that, everything had felt so incredibly right.

But, sadly, it always faded. Just as the summer cooled away into chilly autumn breezes, their mutual happiness was always short-lived and fleeting. When the sun set and the night came, so did recriminations and bitter memories. No matter how much they wanted it, the good times never quite managed to last.

"…an ice sculpture so large was bound to draw attention…"

It was sweet of her mother to try and solve things as best as she knew and scrub at stains until her fingers were raw and bleeding.

Knowing her, she would see the wedding preparations to the very end, making sure any and all damage was repaired, no trace of Tomoe's mistake left behind to draw suspicion, nothing remaining to be seen but spotless mirrors. She loved her mother, now more than ever. But, it was her mistake to make, her wrong to right. She could fix it by herself.

Akira had always said that there was nothing on this earth she couldn't fix. Perhaps that wasn't precisely accurate, but she would take his word for it. On this day, she would draw some strength from his memory and believe in herself, if only for a little while, the way he once did – was it truly so long ago? Sometimes, it felt like only a day or so had passed since they had been inexpertly tugging off their clothes in the backseat of his father's Mercedes Benz or discreetly holding hands at his little sister's piano recital.

"…left behind at a table and got stolen, which was nothing short of…"

It was funny, in a sense, how the past had this way about it, this stranglehold on her, as is the case with most people, that made forgetting it, putting it away in boxes, neatly folding it into drawers or disposing of it as one would garbage, irrationally impossible.

There was no reason or rhyme as to why comatose feelings kept holding on, why no one turned the machines off, why the respirator kept humming in that eerie way, pumping unsolicited air into deflated lungs. At some point, the past had to be laid to rest, _requiescat in pace_ etched across its glossy imagery as is common on headstones.

And yet, she knew that it would always come back to haunt her when making polite small talk at a cocktail party, when going to dinner with friends, when combing her hair or brushing her teeth, when picking out clothes before any type of outing; the past made her who she was and would always be present in anything she said or did. The past would not resign itself to getting killed off like the bad guy skewered by the hero at the end of a children's story, because it was simply unfeasible, because 'to be' in the here and now, required to 'have been' sometime before.

"…bridesmaid had had an affair with the bride's father…"

It could be that the answer was not in denying what had gone before or wishing desperately that things had been different or anything of the sort, but rather in giving past events and all kinds of memories the importance that they merited in the present.

"…turned into a nightmare: poor Betsy had to be taken away in an ambulance…"

Suddenly, in a genial bout of lucidity, it occurred to Tomoe that she knew exactly what to do: it was blatantly obvious that there were three people too many sitting at their table.

"…the priest's words went unheeded and she went right on ahead and…"

It's so easy to lie. To yourself, to everyone around you.

"…George for all he was worth, which was quite a lot, him being the owner of…"

It's simply much harder to open your eyes, take a look around, breathe in the imitations of life surrounding you, the fake words and gestures struggling to be accepted as real and stand up, grab your purse and let your suede ballerina flats guide you to a place you can only hope will be less artificial, less like children playing dress-up and make believe and more like whatever the hell it is that life with you at the helm is supposed to be.

"…everything alright? Where are you going? What are..."

Tomoe only noticed that her mother was screeching in her ear when she was quite a few feet away from the table where, ludicrously, her own flesh and blood and a stranger wearing trendy glasses had spent too much time mapping out pieces of her future, gaps she didn't even know if she wanted to fill.

"…do you think you're doing! Tomoe, answer me!"

It was with mayhap different eyes or maybe in a different light – did it matter which was which? – that the mature young woman more familiar with broken hearts than she ought to be peered at Hana Yukishiro and wondered…just who _was_ the person standing before her?

No, that wasn't it. She knew her mother and she knew the girl her mother called daughter. The question, to be fair, was perhaps far simpler than that.

Tomoe no longer was that person, that woman her family used to know, that Akira used to worship, that Kenshin used to anchor himself to. Where did _that _Tomoe go? Who was that Tomoe _now_?

"I'm not marrying him," she spoke, possibly for the first time in over an hour. "I'm not marrying anyone."

"Sweetheart, you have to do the right thing. You really don't have a choice, not if you intend to keep the child."

"Don't you think I could do this by myself, or is it that you really believe, after all this time, that I can't make it on my own?"

"Tomoe, I know you want the child to grow up with a father," the middle-aged blonde explained as soothingly as she could. "We raised you better than this independence flag you obsessively wave at us."

"What if becoming husband and wife isn't an option?" the dark-haired female dared to ask, not defiantly, but rather neutrally.

Mrs. Yukishiro shook her head and focused on keeping it together, seconds away from scandalously blowing up in a public place, well-groomed waiters servicing well-to-do customers flanking them on all sides of the terrace. Why was the girl so pigheaded?

"It's your only option, Tomoe," said she in something of a scolding manner.

"I won't force him into a loveless marriage."

"You don't love him?"

It was with a bittersweet smile that Tomoe's answer rolled off her tongue; the unpleasantly sour aftertaste stuck like a leech to her gums and tonsils.

"I don't want to _stop_ loving him. If he decides to take this on only due to a strong sense of responsibility…I don't think I would handle it well."

It's so easy to lie. To yourself, to everyone around you. It's child's play to keep it up once you're on a roll, to pretend you know exactly who you are or where you want to go and how to go about living every single day of your life as if you have a clue as to what you're doing, as to what it all means.

Being earnest, though fully aware that that doesn't mean you will actually be heard, that's toilsome and brave.

"That's cold feet talking, sweetie. It's alright to be overwhelmed."

Who's to say honesty is ever enough?

* * *

§

* * *

"…and I wouldn't change a thing. Of course, that line of thinking lasted about ten seconds; after that, I was back to damning what I can only attribute to karmic retribution as he leaned over to pour me more juice and I distinctly smelled _Acqua__ di Gio_ on him."

"At least he smells nice and not like feet or sweaty armpits, you know? Besides, there's chemistry between y'all and I have a sixth sense for that sort of thing, so don't fret over it anymore."

Sighing, Kaoru stared at the remains of her hamburger with keen disinterest and wiped her fingers off on a napkin.

"Trust me," she said "there's nothing there. I mean, sure, when we aren't pointing fingers or acting stupid and upsetting each other, we get along fine."

"See?" Misao kindly pointed out after swallowing down a gigantic bite of her veggie hotdog.

"That thing is absolutely disgusting, Misao," Kaoru said, screwing up her nose at her best friend, the one going through yet _another _weird phase of her ongoing existential crisis that now included eliminating meat from her diet.

"You ate a dead animal; that is way yuckier!"

"At least my dead animal tasted decent and not like lipstick smeared straws or bubble wrap."

"May the good people of PETA take pity on your carnivorous soul!"

"I'm omnivorous, but that's beside the point," Kaoru halfheartedly cleared up, ramming a French fry into her mouth.

Misao childishly stuck out her tongue at her know-it-all classmate and continued eating her food…which did not taste like plastic but rather like cardboard dipped in ketchup, not that she would ever admit it.

The mall's food court buzzed with all kinds of sounds, people from all walks of life sitting at small tables, generally in groups of four or pairs, while throngs of shoppers milled about, looking for vacant seats, and a few unrelated babies inexplicably joined together in a deafening chorus of wails.

"I don't know, I just don't understand him," the blue-eyed schoolgirl stated, her voice tentatively rising over the babes' fitful cries. "He's just too darn confusing. I mean, this morning was perfect, _we _were perfect."

"Do tell," her trusty sidekick suggested, all of a sudden very eager to hear what she hoped would be a saucy tale.

"Well, we talked about a bunch of things during the car ride to school, after sharing the brilliant breakfast I just told you about, and it all just felt really comfortable, d'you know what I mean?"

"Sure."

"Well, there was a bit of bantering – of the good kind – and I playfully slapped his arm and he playfully tugged at my hair and," Kaoru went on before suddenly being forced to a screeching halt by an overzealous creature wearing sunglasses indoors.

"And you flirted and engaged in a friendly tonsil hockey match?" Misao asked excitedly, hoping against hope that she was right on the money.

"That's just it! I don't think he sees me that way!"

"The way he was looking at you when Smiley and I caught up with you guys on Halloween was definitely not brotherly, Kaoru."

"That's right," she exclaimed, her eyebrows drawing together, "the only time I was really certain that maybe, if I wasn't imagining things, he was giving me the funny 'I-want-to-kiss-you' look, you…"

"…_I_ what?"

"You… you….ARGH!"

"I, very loud screaming, what?"

"YOU CALLED MY NAME AND TOTALLY RUINED THE MOMENT!" Kaoru hollered, making the maddening sound of six blaring infants dull to silence almost instantly. Most food court goers were grateful.

"Oops, my bad!"

"You screwed up, then Soujiro stepped into the picture, everything got weird, then we fought and he left and by then I was even more confused than I ever was before and… and I justdon'tgethim!"

Once the desolate girl took a page from Misao's book and let her head dramatically thump against the table, her confidante took advantage of the situation and stole a couple of fries from her tray.

"Let me ask you this," Misao began, thoughtfully munching on an extra crispy French fry. "When he dropped you off today, was there a certain…awkwardness before you got out of the car?"

"Mbeep."

"Sorry?"

"A jeep, he owns a jeep," Kaoru mumbled, forehead glued to the tabletop.

"Whatever. Was there weirdness in the air?"

"Maybe? I don't know." Lifting her face off the wooden surface, she gave her friend's question a moment's thought. "We were talking – I was talking he was listening –, we stopped in front of our school right when I finished speaking and, all of a sudden…there was this silence."

"Tense silence?"

"A little, I guess; it certainly made me want to scamper out of the jeep faster. But then he gripped my hand as I was reaching for the handle."

"Then what did he do, what did he say?"

Kaoru looked off to the side. A couple sitting at the table beside theirs was having what seemed to be the best conversation in the history of conversations, seeing as they couldn't tear their eyes away from one another while they spoke and their hands appeared to be stuck together with crazy glue. When they started making out right then and there, even though he had stuffed his face with loads of onion rings and she had eaten enough garlic bread to kill an entire legion of vampires, she knew that if she ran off to the nearest bathroom stall she'd be ready to puke her guts out on the spot. Was that what love did to people? Did it make them forget things like halitosis and morning breath? Ew.

Kaoru sighed. To make matters worse, no matter how icky, she wanted it. She wanted love. Or maybe a date with Kenshin. Yeah, she'd definitely settle for a date with Kenshin.

"Nothing," she answered as soon as her eyes fell back on her table companion, resting her chin over her folded hands, "he didn't do or say a thing. I turned around to ask for my hand back or let him tell me what was up, whichever, and he just stared at me. Quietly."

"Hello tension!" Misao exclaimed, fanning herself.

Kaoru snorted. "More like 'learn to embrace embarrassment'!"

"You can't actually trip inside of a car, Kaoru, so what happened? Did you choose that exact moment to blow your nose? Did you choke on your own spit or something?"

"Gross, no!" Kaoru yelped. "_I_ didn't do anything, _he_ was the one who patted me on the head and told me to have a nice day at school!"

* * *

§

* * *

Sanosuke's mouth hung open for an indefinite amount of time. Eventually, he found it within his power to form coherent thoughts. Soon thereafter, he was able to give speaking a try. After stuttering thrice, he finally managed to speak properly.

"You _what_? You actually patted her on the head?"

"I know."

"You told her to 'have a nice day at school today'?"

"I know."

"Well, did you ask her if she needed any lunch money while you were at it?"

Kenshin scowled. Who the hell did Sano take him for, an idiot?

"Of course not," he argued, "there was no need for that! You see, while she was in the shower, I sort of…"

* * *

§

* * *

"HE MADE YOU LUNCH?" Misao cried out shrilly. Most food court goers were _not_ pleased.

"It was just a sandwich," Kaoru defended meekly, tracing random patterns on the tabletop with her finger. This was _so_ embarrassing…

Slouching in her seat, Misao felt disappointment and confusion push her into a funk similar to that of her best friend's and let out a puff of air. "I don't get him," she said.

"I do. He thinks the time we spend together is part of the Big Brother mentoring organization program he applied to. He thinks I'm a stupid teenage girl with a pile of _Seventeen _magazines for brains."

A panicked scream followed by a loud crash resounded as a small little boy – who should have been on Ritalin but wasn't – knocked into a stroller occupied by a sleeping infant, making it roll away from a woman's loose grasp – a nanny who had been scolding a modern version of the Von Trapp children, trying to keep them in line –, which lead her to, of course, shout out loud in alarm as she witnessed a remake of a famous _Battleship Potemkin_ scene – minus the stairs and the communism, though – until the pram halted its swift race through the food court by colliding into a customer, who, in his efforts to grab a hold of the pushchair, involuntarily dropped his bags, the sound of broken glass merchandise resounding through the area.

There was a beat of silence as the nanny ran toward the still-shocked man and the baby carriage, respectful bystanders letting them have their moment, curious onlookers eager to see what kind of drama would next unfold. Either way, the event didn't hold people's attention for long; the baby was safe, the man didn't seem angry about one or several of his buys being in pieces and the nanny didn't try to kill the hyperactive kid that had started the chain of events: there just weren't enough soap opera-like elements to hold the audience's interest.

Misao blinked owlishly a few times. "But…but…I swear that I felt _something_ when you two were together," she continued, the gravity of the situation that had just taken place having never sunk in to begin with. "I'm never wrong about this kind of thing!"

"Deal with it." Blowing bubbles into her milkshake, Kaoru watched the couple from before, lips still locked tightly in an unending French kiss; apparently, they were going for some sort of record. "No one will ever be able to figure out Kenshin Himura."

A year later, the nanny that was repeatedly thanking the man that had saved her ass from getting fired was exchanging wedding vows with him at a small chapel in his hometown. By then, the couple that our main character had been both disgusted at and envious of had broken up, moving on to greener pastures…or rather, other people. For her, make that plenty of other people.

"But…"

And the many men and women ordering food, setting down their trays at empty tables, wiping their mouths with paper napkins and pushing themselves off their chairs on that very same day, were none the wiser. There is no such thing as a free lunch; it's the fee that's not always either cash or charge.

* * *

§

* * *

"But I'm not interested in her, not _that _way!"

"Don't you think you're kind of too old for denial?"

"She's just a schoolgirl!"

"Funny how you've made that _real_ clear today, hunh?"

Sano was trying to make him feel guilty, for one thing. Too bad the lazy jerk didn't know that, as far as Kenshin was concerned, he didn't have to waste his breath trying; the moment she stepped out of the Grand Vitara, his forehead had meet the steering wheel…again and again and again.

"I didn't mean anything by it," he said, sinking further into the couch. "Look, she fell asleep on our doorstep waiting up for me while I was, of all places, at Tomoe's. Making her lunch felt like the right thing to do; I didn't mean to treat her like a child."

"_'Of all places, at Tomoe's?'_ You feeling guilty about that all of a sudden?" Sanosuke asked, quirking an eyebrow while trying to balance a pencil on his nose.

Kenshin sighed and looked down at his empty hands. "I should have been here; she spent the night sleeping in the hallway."

The yellow pencil clattered onto the coffee table.

"Hold it," the football player began, a pensive scowl on his face, "Kaoru actually made you feel guilty about being with _Tomoe_?" He grinned mischievously. "Tell me again how you _don't_ like her, _please_."

"That's not the point," the redhead gritted out, looking at their reflection on the blue TV screen.

"You're such a girl, you know that? So you like her, does that have to be complicated?"

"I never said I liked her."

"You never said you didn't."

Reaching for the remote control, the brunet turned off the TV and walked over to the DVD player.

"You don't understand, Sano…" Kenshin muttered, once again staring at his hands, innocently sitting in his lap. With reigned anger, he curled them into fists, his knuckles going white.

His roommate noticed the change going over him, the barely kept calm, but decided to ignore it, soundlessly going through the motions of putting away the movie they had just seen instead.

_"What don't I understand, Kenshin? What's there not to understand?"_

* * *

§

* * *

"Him. I don't understand him."

Taking off her sunglasses, Misao gazed at the girl in front of her with all the seriousness she could muster.

"Kaoru, can I give you a piece of advice?" she asked.

"Oh Lord!" was Kaoru's reply as she smashed her face against the palm of her hand. "Have I really sunk this low? Now I actually need romantic advice from the girl obsessed with a guy so into himself that he can't even see she exists? My life sucks!"

"Well that hurt," the green-eyed high school senior stated evenly, chucking a fry grown cold at her soul sister.

Removing the soggy potato strip from her shirt, Kaoru pouted openly.

"I was patted on the head like a needy puppy and belittled by a boy today; if I'm going down, I plan on taking the whole world with me."

"Good to know. So, as I was saying before you stole the drama queen of the year award from under my nose, I have a word of advice for you, my dearest friend."

"I suppose it couldn't hurt…"

"Focus your attention elsewhere."

"Elsewhere?"

"Yes, elsewhere. As in 'on another guy' elsewhere."

Kaoru wasn't sure whether to believe her ears or not. Was that it? Did she think it was really that simple? It had to be a mistake, surely. After all, she was the one who had eyes for no one else but Aoshi, and that was clearly a loosing bet. She couldn't mean it…could she?

"That's your brilliant advice?"

"Kaoru, he's too complicated." Misao took a deep breath and thought of a delicate way to phrase her worries. "You guys haven't even held hands and already he's making your life hell. He's bad news."

Seeing as though Kaoru could do nothing more but gape, Misao took her stunned reaction as a sign that she was slowly digesting the information and ventured on.

"Look, I know the good girls always want the bad boy, but…"

It was hysterical laughter that made her trail off. Not her own of course, for she had been dead serious and, incidentally, she had thought her friend understood the gravity of that which she was trying to convey. Apparently, if unbridled laughter was any indication, she had thought wrong.

"Kenshin Himura…ha…a…ha ha...a...a bad… hi hi…boy?" Kaoru managed to squeeze out through a fit of giggles. "Misao, have you _seen_ him?"

It was simply too much. As soon as the question was out of her mouth, Kaoru was laughing again, her face going red from the exertion, her eyes tearing up.

"Kaoru, I'm serious!"

"I know! That's…ha ha… what makes it even…ha ha ha… funnier!"

"Look, you don't know him that well!" the aspiring actress protested, slamming her fist against the table. "A guy that complicated…who knows what he could be hiding!"

"Oh please, Misao! What, you think he hides dead bodies in the trunk of his SUV, or something? You've been seeing too many movies…again."

* * *

§

* * *

"Soujiro Seta is her best friend's cousin? That's like something straight out of the movies, man!"

Kenshin had to agree. Jungian synchronicity had nothing on this situation; neither did regular coincidences. This, this was just plain cruel.

"All the more reason for me to stay away from her."

In Sano's opinion, the architect-to-be was insane. A dangerous guy was that close to the spunky girl and all he could think of was add this to his list of reasons to pull away from her?

"Or not."

The redhead shook his head and leaned against his drawing table. Sanosuke simply did not understand and there was no time to fill in the blanks now that his former classmate was around.

"You've heard the stories Sano, you know he's trouble."

Sure, he'd heard parts of what had happened but he knew a lot had been left out, a shitload in fact. That was what worried him even more. The little knowledge he had was bad; to think that there could be so much more and so much worse that he wasn't in on…that didn't sound pretty.

"Exactly. And now he knows that you have some sort of contact with Kaoru."

Kenshin stiffened ever so slightly. Soujiro wouldn't lay a finger on her, would he? No, she was his cousin's closest friend; he wouldn't want his family getting involved…would he? No, of course not, there was no chance in hell…was there?

"He wouldn't get her involved."

Sanosuke stopped pacing and stared at the man standing in front of him: had he just said what he thought he'd said?

"Wouldn't he? I don't mean to criticize your judgment call or anything, but come on!"

Rationalize. He had to rationalize, break it all down into parts. He knew Soujiro – or at least he had once – and the guy didn't really have much of an honor code. But he did receive orders, and whoever was calling the shots wouldn't have let Soujiro approach him like that and give up the element of surprise unless they had another card up their sleeve and Kaoru was not to be a part of the game.

"He gave me a warning, didn't he? If he was going to get her involved, he wouldn't have been as upfront."

In theory, sure. The brunet agitatedly ran a hand through his messy hair. They were dealing with a rat-faced scumbag here, anything was possible, couldn't Kenshin see that?

"What did he warn you about?"

There was the rub, he hadn't really warned Kenshin about anything specific. There was where his rationalizing got ripped to shreds and made into confetti at a county fair. Kenshin did not know what he had been warned about or against, for that matter. Without knowing enough, he couldn't truly assure that Kaoru wouldn't be in danger. Where Soujiro was involved, anything was possible.

"He didn't give me details. I'm calling Hiko tonight to see if he knows anything useful."

Sanosuke gave a sharp nod and remained silent. This was bad. This was very bad.

"Sano, I want you to be on your toes, okay? He's plotting something and I'm certain he knows who I live with, who my teachers are, the works, so you have to be careful now."

Well, duh! Didn't that apply to everyone else in his best friend's life, though? Didn't that apply to Kaoru too? How was she to know to be on the lookout if no one told her anything? Things could easily get out of hand if any of Kenshin's closer acquaintances were unprepared.

"You were a guest at her house, Kenshin; that sneaky rat could try and use her against you."

It was a horrible thought, one he wouldn't dwell on, not for a second.

"He won't involve her."

* * *

§

* * *

"I love strawberry ice-cream!"

"I like chocolate better myself."

"It's a shame Misao had to leave before the movie ended; she loves filling up on tutti-frutti ice-cream here afterwards."

"My aunt _did_ say it was urgent in that text message."

"I hope everything's alright and it wasn't _too_ urgent, that's all."

"I'm sure everything's just fine; the dramatic vein runs in our family, after all."

Smiling, Kaoru nodded firmly and got right back down to business, gobbling down another delicious, creamy spoonful of ice-cream that her dad would be sure to make her work off at the dojo.

After talking with Misao at lunch and getting nowhere, seeing as the girl's solution to Kaoru's blues was to forget about it and aim for another target, they had both bought tickets for a showing of _Liquid Sky_, the cinema's screens having been overtaken by a bunch of punk avant-garde films, some sort of eighties revival festival being the cause. While standing in line, Soujiro had, as they'd all agreed upon, met up with the two students and offered to buy them all the sweets and popcorn they wanted; in Kaoru's book, that made him her new best friend.

"Say, how did you come about my old friend Kenshin?"

Glancing up and beyond the dark pink scoops of ice-cream that had previously garnered all her attention, Kaoru scowled at her table companion.

"Do you or do you _not_ want to talk about this?" she asked. At his blank stare, she closed her eyes and pinched her nose. "Neither of you ever seem to make up your minds!"

"I'm just curious, Kaoru," he explained, resting both elbows on the glass tabletop. "You can't blame me for that; it's genetic, or have you not met my cousin?"

"I've shared a lifetime of stories that will warm the hearts of readers of my future autobiography with her. If curiosity is hereditary, then it's also contagious, and I've known her too long to not have caught that bug, so I'm curious too pal, but I don't see you volunteering any information."

Smiling kindly, Soujiro stared her scowl away, replacing it with a rosy blush. In retaliation, and in a last ditch effort to keep his mind off her flustering self, the young girl took to kicking the legs of his wispy metal chair.

"Things between me and Kenshin are really complicated, Kaoru." His serious tone got her to slow her kicks to a stop. "Besides, I'm not sure he would want you knowing about how everything was back in the good old days."

Kaoru snorted.

"You make it sound as if 'the good old days' weren't so great or legal."

Soujiro's smile broadened.

"He's a pretty private guy, our Ken." At her murderous glare, he sighed and decided to give her a more fitting explanation for his reluctance to talk about their mutual acquaintance. "Look, already he's not too taken with me as of now; I would rather avoid making the situation worse by bringing up things he may not want you to know of."

Kaoru's eyes threatened to fly out of her sockets: were there ever two bigger pains in the ass on the face of the planet than Kenshin Himura and Soujiro Seta!

"What could you possibly know about him that would be so incriminating?" she asked in the whiniest tone of voice she could muster.

"I was his roommate at an all-boys boarding school, that should be answer enough!"

It was with a sigh that the dark-haired teenager resigned herself to forever being out of the loop in regards to "those two idiot boys", as she referred to them in her own mind. There was one heck of a story there, she could smell it, but neither one of them was willing to share. Elite prep school kids: always so selfish…

Stirring her spoon in the thick raspberry-colored pool of her melting ice-cream, she wondered if there was at least one way of making Sou break. Kenshin would never crack, not unless her life depended on his speaking up – which would never be the case, really – so her only option was to get Misao's cheery cousin yakking. Maybe some humor would do the trick?

"Let me take a wild guess, mmkay? Kenshin probably doesn't want anyone to know that, oh I don't know, say…that he sleeps with his thumb in his mouth?"

"Or that he snores."

"Does he?" Kaoru asked loudly, leaning forward in her seat, mischievous anticipation written all over her face.

Soujiro waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Nope, he's quiet as a mouse come bedtime." He had the grace to try and conceal some of his amusement when she pouted, disappointment getting the better of her.

"Does he sleep with a teddy bear?" she insisted, perking up again.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Oh, come on! You must have _some_ dirt on him you can share with me!"

Suddenly eyeing her quite intensely, the good-humored young man sitting before her seemed to vanish in an instant, an entirely different person taking his place, frown lines she had never noticed before appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"You really want to know?"

The way he bit out the words made her regret she had ever spoken, had ever been so pushy. That line of thought took her back to the conversation she had had with Kenshin before breakfast. Why was it that she always had to keep pushing the envelope, some sort of masochistic part of her treading on thin ice even though she could read the sign that advised her against doing so perfectly? It was the strangest thing, seeing Soujiro without a big toothy grin on his face. Dark circles beneath his eyes that she had never noted were there made her come to see just how sallow his skin looked.

"…I guess," Kaoru found herself saying, even if she wasn't sure knowing whether the architecture major had some sort of Achilles heel or not mattered much anymore.

The few seconds of tense silence that preceded his words had Kaoru's stomach twisting itself into knots and tangles, the luminous ice-cream parlor with its butter-hued walls and colorful booths abruptly awash in muted tones.

"…He leaves the toilet seat up."

Just as quickly as the change had come over him, in the space of exactly two blinks, Soujiro was all smiles again and Kaoru felt the life that had seeped out of her pouring back in as she realized that, all along, he had been pulling her leg, merely putting on a show.

Once again the world was sunny and every shade was vibrant and, she couldn't help it, but she started laughing, such relief she couldn't contain, and, without giving it a second thought, somewhere in the back of her mind, she filed away the other Soujiro she had seen, the one she never wanted to lay eyes on ever again, the one that was most likely the real thing but that no one bothered to accredit.

And so, like everyone else, she failed to accept just who was sitting in front of her, she conveniently erased the memory of shadows in his eyes and only saw a dazzling smile, beaming so bright that it outshone the rest of the picture.

* * *

§

* * *

"You know how it goes." Soujiro chanced a glance at the rearview mirror. "Best of friends who start drifting apart…eventually both boys go their separate ways."

Fidgeting in the passenger seat, Kaoru folded her arms and sulked. Did every single male specimen on this earth think that she was retarded?

"I don't mean to pry or anything, but you mean to tell me that the kind of hostility that I witnessed the other day at my house was free of charge?"

There was no way to miss the skepticism she threw at him. Weaving in and out of traffic in his green Sedan, somehow the conversation had worked itself back to the one subject he did not want to be discussing. Sure, a part of him wanted to tell his cousin's best friend the truth, but now was not the time; such information couldn't go to waste, it had to be delivered at exactly the right moment. He could only think of one way to get her off his back: charm her towards a new topic of discussion they could both chat over without ruffling anyone's feathers in the process.

"You're right, Kaoru," he said, an apologetic smile plastered on his face. "I treated you like you wouldn't know better. Sorry about that, it wasn't my intention to insult your intelligence; I simply seem to have a hard time talking about it."

"It's okay," she relented, slightly put out by the 'Kaoru's-just-a-silly-schoolgirl-who-wouldn't-know-better' déjà vu Kodak moment, but thankful for at least getting an apology this time around.

"No it's not," he disagreed swerving the car to avoid running over a jaywalker. "You're not a little kid anymore and I should know better. It's just… The last time I saw you, you were…"

"…Thirteen and underdeveloped?"

Soujiro involuntarily slammed his foot on the gas pedal and got flipped off by a blonde crossing the street.

"Tactless, but true," he said, all too glad that no one had died because of his small slipup; Kaoru certainly was a bit too much at times, wasn't she?

"I understand," the girl went on, completely oblivious to the near accident that her candor had almost incited, engrossed in rolling down the window instead. "Take you for instance: you've certainly filled out. You're not as gangly as I remember, Sou. Not that _that _stopped me from having a crush on you."

"I remember _that_," he reminisced fondly, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he waited for the light to change. "Constant refills of lemonade, an avid listener: it was kind of cool."

"I used to drink up your words as if they were poetry. You were my very own Walt Whitman!"

Blue eyes fixed upon the red traffic light, Soujiro recalled that last summer with perfect accuracy. Even then, she had been kind of cute, sweet and defiant all at once. Smarter than most girls her age, her nose was always buried deep in some thick book, though oddly enough that didn't make her at all geeky. Perhaps the fact that she was fully capable of beating up any boy her age and was pretty decent at basketball helped.

When he had called her an avid listener, he hadn't been lying. Though at the time she had only been thirteen, he had been able to talk to her about practically anything. Patiently sitting beside him, she had listened to every spoken word as though nothing else in the world were as important. It had felt nice to be someone's top priority, even if he hadn't appreciated it for what it was truly worth.

The light turned green.

"I'm sorry I didn't pay you much attention back then."

Turning her head away from the open window, Kaoru offered him a gentle smile, her silky hair blowing in all directions.

"I don't know, you were pretty kind to me. It must have been so annoying to have a prepubescent stalker at your heels."

"I guess…" he spoke unconvinced, beeping the car horn in annoyance when a cyclist carelessly raced past them, putting his own life at risk without a second thought.

Why was it that so many people were willing to risk death by being inattentive? Why was it that he didn't give a damn if they crashed and _he_ died?

"You have to take a left by that brick building next to the hardware store," she directed, glad that he had insisted on taking her home; she hated riding on the bus, even if, on certain occasions, she had no choice but to suck it up and climb aboard.

"Things are definitely looking more familiar now."

"That's because we're almost home free, silly."

Getting immersed in radio waves as she tried to find just the right frequency, Kaoru jabbed button after button on the car radio, crossly commenting on the lack of good mainstream music and, occasionally, outright insulting a specific singer or band.

"You're one of a kind, Kamiya," he said, laughing at her antics. Calmly, she shrugged.

After that, just as the high school senior had predicted, they swiftly reached her lovely, suburban-like neighborhood, the one Kenshin Himura had an unnatural fascination with, and before long they were pulling up at her driveway.

"Oh, you don't have to kill the ignition on my account; I know I can be a talker, but I promise I'm good and done for the day and will quit bothering you now."

"Did you ever stop to think that I might actually enjoy talking with you?"

Parked in the semi-dark – the sun was slowly setting, the powder blue sky tinged with streams of dark violet and hazy spots of fuchsia –, Kaoru was hoping against hope that the red on her cheeks had gone unnoticed, what with the afternoon's end being somewhat opaque and all.

"Not questioning it, just letting you know you're off the hook," she explained squeakily, her eyes wandering towards the door.

"You make it sound as if I've been babysitting you all afternoon," he said.

"Well, you kind of have been, haven't you?"

"That wasn't a question; you genuinely meant it," he pondered in a thoughtful tone of voice. "Kaoru, we've both grown. The age difference right now isn't the same as it was all those years ago."

"I know I suck at math, but numbers are numbers and the age difference is still the same, Sou."

"In numbers. Mentally, the distance has shortened quite a bit. Right now, we're pretty much on the same track."

Something inside Kaoru snapped, but not all at once and not violently. Instead, it began to crumble, little by little, like sand from an hourglass, slipping into a chasm that knew no bottom to hit. Why couldn't Kenshin think or feel that way about her?

Faking a smile, the girl faced the person who saw her in a way she wanted to be seen by someone who would most likely never be that open minded.

"I have to go; I have homework."

Soujiro knew all about fake smiles. Hers was as false as they come, especially since her inexperience in that area gave it a rigidity that pinpointed it as phony, at least to the trained eye. He would not comment on it, though; she was stubborn and would be sure to keep her secrets to herself, whether he asked about what was obviously bothering her or not.

"Good luck with that. Will I be seeing you soon?"

"You have my number and are related to Misao; I'd say it would be weird if you didn't."

"So, just to be clear, I _can_ call you…"

And like a bucket of cold water getting poured over her head, Kaoru was suddenly aware that it was very likely that Soujiro Seta was hitting on her. She didn't want to believe it, the notion way too out there to make sense…but that sixth sense of hers was beeping like crazy…should she buy into it or discard it as vanity and her juvenile mind playing tricks on her?

"Sure, free will works that way," she responded evasively, a ditzy pop princess having taken over her body right about then. "Marvelous, isn't it?"

Chuckling, Soujiro had to hand it to her; she wasn't outright letting him down, she was simply skirting round the subject. Then again, she probably wasn't sure of what his intentions were either.

"I am thankful for free will, Kaoru," he stated, his blue eyes seeking hers out, "but that wasn't really what I meant."

"…I don't get it."

"It's always the smart ones…"

"Hey! Are you making fun of me?" Shooting him a glare, Kaoru decided that he was probably kidding around. Either that or he was a really straightforward kind of guy…and that wasn't at all like the Soujiro she remembered. "Because, I have to say, I have some stories on you that pale in comparison to me not keeping up with your line of thought, pal."

"I'm sure you do," he said, the frown on her face funny as hell, though he was sure that she had been going for scary, "and you're right, I shouldn't poke fun at you for being cute."

She was tired. How many times in the past two months had she gone on a blushing spree? Getting flustered all the time was really starting to tick her off!

"Oh…I wouldn't put it that way…"

"No, a girl like you wouldn't."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Anger was better. Anger she could deal with. Cousin 'Smiley' playing with her loose screws, on the other hand, she wasn't up to handling.

"That you're not full of yourself. You're not the type," Soujiro stated quite simply.

She should have been flattered. Heck, she was, but…how could she focus on feeling so when all that came to mind after such words was how easily they could have come from someone else's mouth. Kenshin spoke like that. The construction of his sentences was eerily similar.

So, she should have been flattered, and she was; it just wasn't enough to chase random thoughts of Kenshin away.

"You know…I couldn't help but notice. You and Kenshin, you both have some sort of parallel form of phrasing things. It's kind of…can I be frank?"

"I'm as much for honesty as the next guy."

A raindrop landed on the car hood, then another and another.

"Okay, then. It's sort of unsettling." Quickly, she hurried on, realizing that, though she in no way meant it to be so, her words sounded slightly offensive. "Don't get me wrong, he's not nearly as cheerful as you and you're not all that alike, it's just the way you two talk…it's so similar sometimes that it's uncanny."

Rainwater began pelting harshly against the windshield.

"It could be the schooling. That and too much time rooming together." Sheepishly, Soujiro ran his fingers through his coarse hair. "Sorry if it bothers you."

"No, no, not at all!" she uttered instantly, waving her hands in front of her in dead on denial. "It's just weird, you know?"

"Because you would rather he be the one in the car right now?"

Kaoru's wide blue eyes fixed on the large droplets splattering against the glass, the rain teeming mercilessly, a piano intro drifting softly from the car radio into her ears, mixing itself with the loud pounding of both her racy heart and the downpour. How was she supposed to answer that? Why would he ask something like that anyhow? Closing her eyes for something of a split second, she tried to calm herself and think.

"And then you do something like that and you both could be as different as night and day." Looking down at her lap, she swallowed the lump in her throat and willed herself to see her flimsy attempt at vagueness through. "I might be wrong, but he doesn't seem capable of being so upfront."

"Oh, I wouldn't underestimate him." Though his lips quirked upwards, the smile did not reach his eyes. "He can be resourceful when he gives it a go."

"I guess."

"So, you really aren't going to give me a straight answer, are you?" It was imperative that he know just how deep her feelings ran for his enemy…for multiple reasons. "Oh well, it can't be helped, I suppose."

"No, no…I'm happy to be here with you! Today was fun."

No matter how she put it, Kaoru still felt like she didn't inject enough honesty into that statement to make it sound real, which was a shame, really, because she would be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed the company of the perfectly nice boy sitting beside her. Maybe it wasn't truth that was lacking, maybe it was enthusiasm.

"Maybe there can be a repeat?"

"Why not?"

"Swell!"

Kaoru laughed. Now, _he_ sure as hell didn't lack enthusiasm!

"_Swell_? Who says 'swell'?" she teased. "Are you a hardcore _Pleasentville_ fan, or something?"

"I think I've been watching too many old movies at aunt Nanami's house lately…"

"Enough said. I spent an entire month classifying everything I liked – including my friends – as either 'pretty' or 'gay' after your dear cousin gave me a _Westside Story_ overdose: she hates Maria so much that she keeps watching that movie over and over again just to slam her."

A minute turned to two, two turned to five, and five turned to ten. It reached the point where, twenty minutes later, only the tip of Kaoru's shoe was poking out the car door, her foot steadying itself against the wet ground as the other at once followed suit.

Preparing to make a run for it, she pulled the back of her shirt up over head, by all means struggling to retain her modesty, and with a quickly uttered goodbye sprang out of the automobile, slammed the door and sprinted for the gate. She was a hilarious sight, dashing home in 'I am the great Cornholio!' ( 2 ) style.

Breathless and thoroughly soaked, she waited for the sound of the car's engine rumbling to life and tires rolling away. Once she confirmed Soujiro was gone, she leaned her back against the gate and closed her eyes.

The rain was freezing cold, but she couldn't find the energy to jog on to the front door, slip inside her house and put the day behind her.

Her long hair stuck to her cheeks, to her neck and a strand or two of the dark unbound mass found themselves tickling her unsmiling lips. Salty, icy rivulets trickled down her bare arms, her damp shirt and blue jeans glued tightly to her body like a second skin. Water dripped from her thick eyelashes and the vaguely rounded tip of her nose. She was lost and feared stepping inside a place so familiar and comfortable as home; she would find no answers in the kitchen, the living room or her bedroom.

_"Today was fun…"_

Enveloped in the pitter-patter of the heavy rainfall, the young girl sought a measure of peace that was constantly just out of reach. The zen experience Eugen Herrigel ( 3 ) had talked about continually eluded her, which came as no surprise because finding herself in such a state of mind would not come from seeking it. Drat.

_"…and Soujiro has always been a great guy…"_

Looking up at the rainy sky, Kaoru's expression softened, her annoyance swiftly replaced by a kind of sorrowful resignation that had rarely graced her face.

_"…but he was right."_

It hurt. The raindrops landing in her open eyes hurt, but she couldn't bring herself to close them or stop staring up at an infinite space that harbored reasoning and explanations that she would most assuredly never be privy to.

_"I couldn't give him a straight answer."_

Chewing on her bottom lip, she forced the lump rising in her throat to get the memo and take a hike.

_"I couldn't give myself one."_

With a sigh, Kaoru let her head bob forward, her shoulders sagging.

_"I don't want to…"_

Going the extra mile, she made herself take the few steps that would lead her to the front porch and stopped. It hurt. It hurt to but stand there, glaring at the door, waiting for her mind to make a decision, waiting for her heart to take the hint and move on to the next guy. It simply wasn't happening, was it?

_"Why don't I want to?"_

Only she did. She wanted to forget Kenshin, forget he ever patted her on the head, forget he ever saved her from too many fractures to count, forget he made her breakfast, forget she liked being with him, forget how smart he was, forget how interesting it was to talk to him, forget how clueless he could be, forget how timid he could get. She wanted to forget him and be happy that a great guy like Soujiro was, apparently, attracted to some aspect of her, wanted to see her again, be near her sometimes and find out if she could cook or not, if she was smart, if she could make for interesting conversation, if she was ditzy at times and if she acted shy on occasion. He wanted to see her again and she wanted to forget and see him too. But she couldn't.

_"It's not really a choice, is it?"_

At least, if she did, her heart wouldn't be in it.

_"I just can't change how…"_

Unlocking the door was easy. What was hard was realizing she was at an impasse with herself.

_"…how I **feel**."_

Sluggishly, she walked in, fumbled for the light switch and quietly shut the door.

* * *

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**Footnotes:**

( 1 ): Amy Lowell (1874-1925) was an American poetess whose book of poems _Sword Blades and Poppy Seeds_ contains the herein cited poem, _The Taxi_, which reads: "Streets coming fast/ One after the other/ Wedge you away from me" and "Why should I leave you / to wound myself upon the sharp edges of the night?" amongst other things.

( 2 ): If you've ever seen _Beavis and Butthead_, then you know what I'm talking about…

( 3 ): Eugen Herrigel: author of _Zen in the art of archery_, a book that influenced the classic _Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance_, by Robert M. Pirsig.

* * *

_Reviewer Responses:_

**To enroute: **Updating quickly is, apparently, not my style. Sorry about that, life just tends to happen, you know? As you can see – or rather read – Kenshin and Kaoru had no further discussions…our girl simply got patted on the head and kind of belittled. Aside from that, both characters are living in Paradise, ne? Here's to hoping I update faster next time around!

**To gwkitty: **I hope you still think it doesn't matter how long I take to update considering how much you all had to wait this time. You know what? Sometimes, all I want to do is go to the movies and fill up on my share of good old fashioned unrealistic romance. I can't help it; I'm a girl. That being said, it's not my goal in writing to produce overly sappy and sentimental works of fiction, so I'm thrilled that, despite the nice little moment shared between the 2 lead characters in chapter 25, you still saw it as nothing more than a – granted sweet – slice of life. Also, I'm glad you liked the idea of "a slice of life", as I not-so-cleverly dubbed it, better than if I had gone all-out on corny and sugary. It's weird, isn't it, how the people we like make us feel conflicting emotions? Like everything in life, it has its good and its bad side; there's a bit of duct tape in all of us and in everything that moves us – the light and the dark side. K&K… I have big plans for those two, I swear and I guarantee that they will indeed kiss…when the time is right. Bye now!

**To Rhapsody 07: **It makes me so happy that you love this story – I swear I'll never tire of you saying it! Constructive criticism is very important and I value it greatly, but rest assured that I am human and, as such, shameless praise is more than okay with me too. Thanks for the support and until next time!

**To pyramidgirl89: **You have no idea what a compliment it is for me to be compared to the likes of Jane Austen in the slightest way! Oops…I did it again: if you have eyes then you can't have missed that in this chapter I once again mixed 3rd person narrative with 1st person thoughts. It's just something I can't control, the writing flows and I don't ask myself too many questions. I'm glad you like long reviewer responses; I tend to talk a lot if the subject interests me and since writing is practically my life – if I were a published author I could actually say that and it would make more sense – it's like I should come with an off switch once someone gets me started. Thank you for the encouragement. I'll do my best and try and not take too long to update. Take care.

**To Crewel: **SxM moments? Boy am I glad you're talking about Sano and Megumi and are in no way making reference to sexual deviations involving whips and bondage! Yes, I too love that couple and will get back to them shortly…I hope. The thing is, though I do work with an outline, inspiration takes me on wild rides and leads me to scenes and character development that I hadn't originally considered pursuing. Anyway, the point is that SxM moments are guaranteed; I just don't know if the next chapter will have anything to do with them as a couple or even altogether. Thanks for taking the time to review; it means a lot to me.

**To De Lazy Lime: **First off, this chapter goes out to you for inspiring me. Remember when you said that Rilo Kiley's "Science Vs Romance" could be this fic's main musical theme? It's actually from that very comment that the mathematical approach of this chapter originated from. That being said: how naughty of you to have forgotten to review chapter 24! Then again, going on a road trip sounds way better than sitting in front of a computer screen for lengthy periods of time and… Don't mind me; talk of cruising around reminded me of how much I miss the holidays! I want my days free from academic responsibilities back! Moving on… It's funny, isn't it, that Kenshin has seen Kaoru asleep so often but there's barely any intimacy between them? Kenshin is a private person and, personally, I don't think that's such a terrible thing; we all have pieces of ourselves that we don't want to give away, including silly stuff that in the long run won't make a difference. We are creatures of habit and Kenshin is merely accustomed to keeping things to himself. It's hard for Kaoru – and many of this story's readers, actually – to understand that, but that's exactly what makes for a great relationship, isn't it? The kind that challenges you, gets you to understand and have patience with things you wouldn't have given a second thought to before. The kind that inspires personal growth. Next time, I'll post the frittata recipe for you, okay? I wish you good days, good company, good food and good music. Until next time!

**To Queeney: **I'm actually not a breakfast person – water, coffee or tea for me, at most – but if a guy like Kenshin offered to cook me breakfast, I certainly wouldn't complain. I take it you wouldn't either, am I right? Thanks for the positive response for last chapter and for your patience. Bye!

**To Kakashi Man:** …I'm blushing from the tips of my toes to the roots of my hair…

**To missaw: **"Awesomes" are awesome: you know that! Hihihi. Seriously, though, it is always great to hear from you and I do love your "awesomes"; they are indeed the perfect pick-me-up on a bad day. I think I was the one to write about the "girlish squeals of delight" but since I can't be sure unless I go back and re-read every chapter – which I will be doing and have done before for editing purposes – I won't confirm it. I take it this chapter won't be getting any fluffy bags of cotton candy or marshmallows, hunh? I guess this piece was more of an angst/comedy tug of war. I hope you liked it, all the same.

**To Aryanne: **I just want to say that I feel very bad about not having as of yet read the final chapter of "Silver Cross"; I intend to get right on it as swiftly as possible. It's hard to download Jim Brickman songs – I'm guessing he's not that popular – but I managed to hear one, though not the song you mentioned, and I liked it. I have a strange fixation for anything piano and I love it when people tune me in on good music, so thank you for the recommendation. The last three paragraphs of last chapter actually gave me tons of work: I was very unsure as to how the closing of the chapter should go until I discovered Coldplay's "Til Kingdom Come" which really got me in the mood I wanted to suggest to the readers. Funny thing: hardly anyone noticed the 'peeing in a cup' line and it was key and yeah, I do believe you when you say it peaked your interest…I'm not saying anything else, lest I give everything away. Kenshin and Kaoru _are_ hopeless, aren't they? And, if you think about it, it's mostly Kenshin's fault so I'm thinking that when he finally figures out what he wants, he's gonna have a whole lot of sucking up to do. To appease the mind, they will not take years of being friendly before they take the plunge; still, they both need time to sort it all out. Kaoru might be able to take the risk and rush into a relationship but Kenshin has experience and thinks he knows better. You decide if he actually does know better. Once again, I look forward to reading the final installment of your story – Congratulations! Letting go of such a beautiful piece must be hard.

**To almira**: Almira sounds Spanish; I like it! Back on track, for the record your review did not confuse me; I totally understood what you meant. Kaoru's personality is what makes her loveable, not her looks. It should always be that way, but who said life was fair? Thank you for the feedback.

**To Ocean Fish: **You have abandoned me, you know? You don't e-mail me anymore or anything. I miss your e-mails. As for the review, I have but one complaint: you've been shortening 'em! No fair! What's going on with Misao and Aoshi is…a mystery. Stay tuned to find out the truth behind their weird behavior.

**To Mad-4-Manga: **You have flattered me to the point of excess…not to say that I wasn't immensely pleased by your review. As far as writing novels go, that's a dream of mine and, if possible, I intend to convert this fanfic into a novel – I'm figuring it's okay for a first try, right? It can be kind of immature and childish at times, but the first run is always more of a learning experience than anything else, or so I've been told. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and, one day, become what I've always wanted to be: a published author. The past life flashes are more general than a reincarnation side story. Since everyone on the site knows about the actual manga this is based upon, I figured I could use imagery the readers would be familiar with to introduce the concept of souls recognizing each other. I don't know if I believe in soul mates, but I would like to think that the soul can reach out and feel a pull towards someone just as well as eyes can see an attractive physique. Maybe later on, I'll go into that again, but there's not going to be remembrance of a past life, only vague hints as to the fact that kindred souls tend to stick together if indeed there is such a thing as reincarnation. Your mom read a part of the play? Do you think she liked it? The play is the hardest thing to write because it is so much more poetic and because it is meant to reveal Kaoru's talent. She's not good at math, she's not a history buff, she doesn't take school all that seriously – she studies, but she doesn't believe that's going to prepare her for the life she envisions for herself – so, if she writes, if that's what she likes, then she has to be good at it. I can't say what Mrs. Shinomori has or doesn't have because spoilers aren't my cup of tea. You'll see. Kenshin and Kaoru are a work in progress. They're a mess but…when it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Thank you so much for such inspiring and encouraging feedback. I hope to hear from you soon.

**To Ri-nee-chan: **I don't know how long I've spent promising you that this chapter was going to come out, that I was almost done with it, that I hoped to update soon. Finally, I went through with my promise. Your reviews keep coming later and later and so do my updates…it's a pain isn't it, always being late for everything? You know, last chapter wasn't all that short, the lack of scene changes and the trivial happenings just made it seem insufficient, in terms of length. This installment, making up for it, is, however, one of the longest I've written up to date. It's weird how you claimed that chapter 25 was an "iram chapter"… I have yet to figure out what defines the "iram" writing style, but I'm sure I'll get there someday and I trust you as an observant reader to have already picked up on its unique characteristics – and I'm only calling them that because you seem to think that way. If it is true that I often include head case monologues in each installment then the opening if this one should be up to par with tradition, right? I'm aware that last chapter had no drawn out or detailed elements in the phrasing of the regular moments of epiphany that I love to make the characters experience, but I've been recently going through a "Haiku" phase, in the sense that I'm beginning to think that, sometimes, the correct answer lies in the mincing of words. It's just a hypotheses, an experiment of sorts if you will, and I'm always really verbose about things so… don't expect to see that kind of cinematographic suggestion too often in my writing. Last chapter's "banging sequence" was definitely one of my favorites to write as well. Which scene from this chappie wins the 'favorite award'? The part I enjoyed writing the most was the whole food court / nanny / macking couple scene and Kaoru's appreciations on the subject. The fast-paced tempo of this chapter is supposed to act as a counterpoint to last chapter's understated simplicity and calmness; do you think it worked? Going somewhat off topic, I loved that K&K pic you sent me! I wrote you an e-mail to say thanks, but you haven't gotten back to me yet; I hope you received it. You said that you were eager to see how Soujiro coming back into the picture would go…any comments? Thanks so much for being so sweet to me, for your thoughtfulness and for always being there. Your e-mails always light up my day. Kissies and see you next chapter or via e-mail, kay? Bye.

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**Well people, so much for chapter 26! Thank you for your patience and kindness. Till chapter 27!**

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	27. As the heart beats

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY:_ I could add ownership rights of RK to my Christmas wish list, but I would only be setting myself up for major disappointment, wouldn't I?

**Quick little message from author: **It's been a while since my last update. Sorry. This year has been quite the year – I'd like to think that I mean that in a good way, though. Since I probably won't be updating again any time soon _this _year – December tends to be a pretty busy time for me – I would like to take a moment to thank all my wonderful readers and reviewers for bearing with me throughout the whole of 2005 and wish every single one of you only the very best for the upcoming year. Take a chance on your dreams is all I can say: that's going to be my motto for 2006. Season's greeting everyone! Introducing the latest installment of 180º ST&T, chapter 27, entitled "As the heart beats". I hope you all like it.

**Soundtrack: **_Part I:_ "Love is everywhere I go" – Sam Phillips / _Part II:_ "Cocoon" – Bjork / _Part III:_ "Someone Something" – Spoon / _Part IV:_ "The Frug" – Rilo Kiley / _Part V:_ "Comforting sounds" – Mew / _Part VI:_ "My doorbell" – The White Stripes; "Never leave your heart alone" – Butterfly Boucher / _Part VII:_ "Never leave your heart alone" – Butterfly Boucher -- _**continuation of the song, letting it bleed into this part of the installment**_; "Where does the good go?" – Tegan and Sara

**

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**Chapter 27: As the heart beats**

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Love. It's the notion that, when one feels it, the word in itself sounds obsolete, tired and tried, insufficient and by far too abused. 

When one finds oneself loving someone, one gets into the business of unwittingly inventing neologisms. Love becomes a term so poor in expression that one becomes almost ashamed to use it, for fear of making one's own feelings obsolete, tired and tried, for fear of abusing the word to the extent that it rapidly looses meaning.

To love is to want the very thought of loving to mean something better, something new, to think that Love, as defined in dictionaries and by popular consensus, urgently needs an upgrade because that simple definition just isn't enough. It isn't enough to convey a heart on the verge of explosion seeking a safe haven to mellow down the frantic haze of emotion that _is_ falling in love.

Love. It's the notion that, given a thousand other names, no wording or phrasing could suit it, could do it justice, the travesty of a thousand hasty "Love yas" written at the bottom of too many e-mails and letters to count, spoken at the end of nearly every phone conversation ever made, rendering its use, its original meaning, flat and uninspiring. Love in language is denotative; love in soul is connotative: no word could ever capture it; no tongue could ever refrain from distorting its significance.

Yet, as the heart beats, we love.

Como bate o coração, nós amamos.

Como late el corazón, nosotros amamos.

Comme bat le coeur, l'on aime.

As the heart beats, we love.

The idiom is unimportant, the labeling, no matter which, at the ready to be taken advantage of and underestimated. If words could be made anew and a novel term was to replace those four letters, it would all boil down to the same thing: no mercy would be shown and it would be divested of its true implications. And it still wouldn't matter.

The important part would be the booming, the pounding, the flip-flops and the palpitations. A heart beating for another, a rhythm attuned to something beyond ego. Love.

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§

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Curled up on her side, Megumi simply stared. 

Up…and down…and up again.

With every breath he took and every breath that passed his lips always came the rhythmical rising and falling of his chest.

Up…and down…and up again; in…and out...and in again.

The act of breathing was so methodical, so unlike him. It was strange. And yet, there he was, flat on his back, breathing in…and out…and in again.

Sanosuke, she had found out, tended to look the most unlike himself when he was asleep. The morning after he had stayed over for the first time, she had made an offhanded comment about it during breakfast. As was his custom, Sano had merely eyed her oddly, grunted and jerkily stated that a sleeping person was just that, a person that was sleeping and little else. He hadn't understood.

Rise and fall; inhale and exhale.

Under the pale moonlight streaming in through the window located directly above the bed's headboard, his tanned skin glistened ever so slightly, his three-day stubble tinged silver. Megumi could imagine wrinkles taking shape on the smooth planes of his face, crow's feet crinkling at the corners of his eyes, a shock of white hair on his head.

Suddenly metamorphosed, there laid Sanosuke, old and gray, and possibly senile, stretched alongside her, fast asleep.

In…and out…and in again.

Was she old too? Lifting her arm, she brought her hand up for closer inspection. Yes, she could make out creasing ridges on sallow skin, could feel the rougher texture of what had once been satiny soft – Clinique and Helena Rubinstein products sure were a Godsend! – pressed beneath her fingertips wherever they chose to roam.

In her mind's eye, both she and her lover had grown old together and, despite a world of troubles, still managed to share a common bed and life.

Up…and down…and up again.

Gently, Megumi slipped her hand beneath his forearm, curved round his middle, the exact spot where her waist tended to rest when the couple settled in for the night. Sanosuke stirred slightly and a soft smile touched her lips.

Vital, constantly on the move, fidgety even: that was the Sanosuke Sagara the world had come to know. But this, this deathly calm, this peaceful quiet, this was hers alone, this was _her_ Sanosuke Sagara.

And as intimate, precious and delicate as that sounded, at times it unnerved her.

Rise…and fall; breathe in…and breathe out.

It was a question of nature, _his_ nature. This Sanosuke was too peacefully quiet, too calm, too deathly still to be anything else if not an empty husk, a frigid corpse weighing down the left side of her bed. This train of thought never failed to frighten her, but as she greedily drank in the gentle rising and falling of his chest, insane ideas took shape, coffins and funerals being at the forefront of the dreadful onslaught of nightmarish imaginings that his unmoving frame inspired.

Up…and down…and up again.

Caringly, Megumi placed her free hand on his temple, the warm flesh beneath her palm chasing her imaginary worries away. He was breathing steadily and, though motionless, was very much alive. Tenderly, she planted a light kiss on his forehead.

His performance at the previous night's football game had been impeccable, his team had won and the scouts sitting at the bleachers had seemed considerably impressed.

Tracing her finger down his jaw, her face grew serious.

He should have been thrilled, especially when his teammates carried him off the field on their shoulders – wasn't that the sort of ego boost that every man craved? – but… Megumi sighed.

Sano had never been good at hiding his feelings, not from her anyway, and that distant look in his eyes at the after party was impossible to miss. Why couldn't he be happy once all he had ever dreamed about finally seemed to be materializing right under his nose?

In…and out…and in again.

She had been so shocked the day she had met him; he got off the bus before she even got the chance to ask him if he had recently escaped from a psych ward. From that moment on, wherever he was concerned, wonders never ceased.

As to how he had won her over? It was actually quite simple; he had been himself and brutally honest with both his feelings and intentions to the point that she figured that, when push came to shove, he would be straight with her always. He was noble and that was the uppermost quality that had persuaded the princess that locked herself in an impenetrable ivory tower to surrender her trust and heart over to the knight that awaited her – if quite impatiently – at the base of the winding stairwell.

Rise and fall; inhale and exhale.

He had always made her so happy. Not to say that he hadn't brought a fair share of sadness, frustration, anger and worrying into her life; theirs was a situation far from perfect.

Megumi could have had perfect. She could have pursued a relationship with the son of one of her father's esteemed colleagues. She could have had parental approval and spent Christmas every year at a different ski lodge, be it in Valais or Vermont. She could have been lathered in expensive gifts every anniversary, surprised with birthday dinners at seaside hotels year after year after year. At the movies, she could have rested her head on the shoulder of any of the Kenshin Himuras in the country – albeit one with less emotional baggage. She could have been the perfect Barbie doll to the perfect Ken, smiling behind the wheel of an expensive blue Corvette.

But, as fate would have it, she had gone for the GI Joe instead, sort of speak… Well, the Captain certainly had threatened to enlist him in the army plenty of times…

Breathe in…breathe out…breathe in…breathe out…

Pressing a kiss to his cheek, she buried her head in the crook of his neck, snuggling against him, relaxing when he reflexively wrapped his arms around her.

As she lived and breathed and as the pulsing of his heartbeat lulled her to sleep, she didn't regret giving up the fantasy.

This confusing reality _was_ a mess and there was no denying that their future was frighteningly uncertain. Lately, Sanosuke wasn't the happy man she had fallen in love with and she had gone through far too many bottles of aspirin, there had been much more fighting and, what was worse, moments of uncomfortable silence seemed to stretch on forever between them far too often.

Up…and down…and up again…

But there was this moment, so fragile and fleeting, like many others.

Matutinal moments. Vespertine moments. Nocturnal moments. Intimate moments. _Their _moments.

Thump…thump…thump…

In this moment, there was his heartbeat, a lullaby meant to put her lights out slowly, to make her forget all problems and focus on how right it felt to fall asleep with him, to have fallen in love with him. Someway, somehow, with him, she was always falling.

In…and out…and in again…

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It was past midnight, but he was past caring. Looking down at the wrinkled piece of paper in his hands, he ascertained that he had the right address. He rang the doorbell a few times, then waited. It seemed to him that all he ever did these days was wait. 

After what felt like forever, he finally heard the padding of feet and the swishing of fabric on the other side of the door. When all grew silent again, he realized that whoever was behind the door was probably hoping he would go away; they certainly hadn't even bothered with turning on any lights inside the apartment, at least none that he could see peeking through the small gap between door and granite floor.

Jaw set and shoulders squared, as per usual, he rang the doorbell again, most likely startling the person hiding in the dark. Not that he cared. He was past caring.

"Who… Who's there?" a female voice hesitantly asked.

"I'm looking for Tadao Kinjo," he replied coolly.

"He's….he's not…uh…here at the moment," the disembodied voice stated waveringly.

He cocked an eyebrow. Of course he was in there, he probably just had so many people after his head that this woman – a wife or girlfriend, quite possibly – had little choice but to lie and pray it worked. His lips drew themselves into a taut line as he thought that there was no way in hell anyone's prayers were getting answered anytime soon; he had been down that particular venue and nothing had come of clasping his hands together, palm to palm, and waiting for divine grace to take pity on him and his mother. Praying was for the senseless.

"I need to see him," he persisted.

"I've already told you, he's not here!" The woman sounded thoroughly annoyed now, her previous nervousness nowhere to be found. "What kind of an hour is this for house calls, anyway!"

The tall man standing in the dimly lit corridor gave an irritated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. When it came to matters of such import, there was no 'right time' for visits and, if the woman wasn't a complete idiot, she could probably guess that this was no regular social call, which rendered the question in itself completely pointless.

"I'm his son."

Tense silence met his admission. It wasn't as though he were proud of having Tadao Kinjo for a father; a person simply can't choose the parents they're stuck with, after all. At the very least, he had been spared the torture of dealing with the man for an awfully long time.

In an ideal world, he would never have found himself standing in the hall of that old apartment building's fifth floor, no less seeking out as seedy a person as his father, but, as he very well knew, there was nothing ideal about life. Thus, he waited for the door he had walked up to about ten minutes prior to be unlocked, not an ounce of emotion playing across the planes of his blank face.

As the withdrawing of the bolt noisily alerted him to the turning of the key, he grew to hate the situation all the more. There was no room for love or God or any form of optimism in his heart. Beating inside him, there was only an anger that blotted everything else out, that made him see red all the time, that pointed out how unfair and cruel fate was, if such a thing as fate existed.

The door creaked open and a tall woman in a nightgown appeared before him, contriteness written all over her face.

"Come on in… Aoshi."

Though he did not give away that he was surprised, Sae, who was a mother, knew better: the young man might have been looking at her with as much stoicism as a zen monk could muster, but he had been terribly adamant about getting inside the apartment. Now that he had a clear path, he moved not a muscle.

"He told me about you," she explained, though Aoshi had as of yet to ask her one sole question. "Not that he said much, true, but I made it a point to remember your name, all the same."

Without a word, Aoshi let himself in. The raw anger, though he would not show it, burned within, now so all the more. He would not request his father's assistance; he had not sought him out to get on his hands and knees and beg. Tadao Kinjo owed him and he was there to collect.

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"There was an emergency?" 

"Uh…well…it's more like he forgot he'd already made other plans."

"Oh…Okay, then…"

"But he did say he was sorry."

"Yeah…"

"And he left your stuff with me, so it's not like you came all the way here for nothin'."

"Right!"

The silent pause was one more reason Sanosuke had for hating his roommate. Why the hell was it that Mr. Nice Guy always left him to do the dirty work? Couldn't he blow off the girl himself?

Well, no, not really; he was out after all. Next question, then: why the hell did he have to go out in the first place? What was so freaking important that he had to leave in such a hurry?

"Anyway, you get to see _me_, which is awesome, of course," Sano boastfully intoned.

She rolled her pretty blue eyes at him. "Don't flatter yourself."

"Don't kid yourself, angel; you know you love me."

"As much as I love maggots."

"You're so funny. You kill me. Really."

"I try."

Alright, things were going okay – it definitely could have been worse. As long as he kept the girl busy she wouldn't ask the question that would doom them all. Well, not him; he had nothing to do with the fucked up love triangle Kenshin, Kaoru and Tomoe seemed to be a part of, quite thankfully. Still, someone's bubble was about to get burst… if _someone_ opened her pretty little mouth and attempted to hit the nail on the head.

"Why's Kenshin got your laundry with him, anyway?" he innocently asked as a means of diversion.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I puked all over my clothes the night we met."

"Oh that's right! I'd forgotten about that!" he exclaimed. "You barfed on his shoes too, right?"

Kaoru gaped, but quickly recovered. "Just hand over my clothes!"

Sweet! He was gonna get her to leave without having to deal with anyone's anguish and lovesickness! Just goes to show: when you set your mind on something, the results can be astounding.

Hurriedly, he placed the plastic dry cleaning bag in her arms. "We'll I've done my part; you're good to go now!"

"Why are you so eager to get rid of me?"

Oh boy, why was she frowning suspiciously at him? No, no, no. He had done a good job. She was standing by the door, for fuck's sake! She already had what she needed! Why didn't she just go away already?

"Someone's a little paranoid," Sanosuke suggested.

"You actually know what paranoid means?" Kaoru wondered aloud.

"You're still here?" he inquired.

"Aha! I knew it!" she yelled, pointing an accusing finger in his face. "You want me to leave!"

"Duh!"

"Why?"

"You mean there's gotta be a reason?"

"Yes, pea brain, there's always a reason!"

Kenshin had to die. A painful death, preferably. Maybe even with a touch of humiliation to the act in itself. Yes, Kenshin should die while sitting on the toilet. On a plane. Kenshin should die sitting on the toilet seat of an airplane bathroom, getting sucked out into the sky with his pants down. Or something.

"Fine, if you really want to know, Megumi is waiting for me…in my bedroom."  
"I'm not buying it."

"What the hell do you mean, 'you're not buying it'? It's the truth, dammit! I want you to leave so I can go have hot sex with my girlfriend! There, I said it! Are you happy now?"

"Not really," Kaoru responded flatly, narrowing her eyes. "You're lying. Why are you lying?"

"I'm not lying! Now go away already!" he shrieked in exasperation. He was loosing ground fast, and he knew it. "We don't have much time – she's got class in a bit – and she really likes foreplay!"

"The fictitious woman lying on your bed will live," the young girl dryly asserted.

No wonder Kenshin had stood her up: she was a pain in the ass! Not that Tomoe had ever been any better, with her penetrating stares and measuring glances, but still!

"Alright, stay if you like then. There's the couch and there's the TV: make yourself comfortable. When the moaning and panting coming from my room reaches your virginal ears, don't say I didn't warn you!"

Hah! That had done it! She was gripping the plastic bag tightly now, her eyes downcast. He couldn't really tell, but he was sure she was blushing. She really thought she could outdo him? She clearly had it coming then, even if he felt a little bad for having embarrassed her by being so blunt. The rest of him, though, was super relieved and ecstatic, knowing that in order to save face she was sure to hastily say her goodbyes and walk out that door. Phew!

"Just out of curiosity," Kaoru voiced, so softly it was barely even audible, "did this _emergency_... did it have a name?"

Oh crap, she'd gone and done it now, hadn't she? Silly girl, of course it had a name: Kenshin wouldn't have left him in charge of picking up the pieces otherwise.

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Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

It beat surprisingly fast. Kenshin was sure he had never heard anything quite like it before; it was simply too loud and strong to sound like any regular person's heartbeat.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

Noisily projected, the sound reaching his ears did strange things to him. For one, a tight clenching in his gut alerted him that he was queasy and, strangely, not okay.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

The room smelled odd. Like antibiotics and plastic. The room smelled clean and germ-free: it made him slightly nauseous. The pastel-hued walls were a bit too bright for his eyes to handle, the tiny dancing bears painted above the chair rail blurring together as his head spun.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

As she laid on the exam bed, he could finally make out the small protuberance that her clothes hid so well. How many times had his hands caressed the smooth skin of her stomach? How many times had he rained kisses on her flat abdomen? How many nights had he dreamed of her carrying their unborn child inside her swollen belly?

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

On the screen of the fetal monitor, her future kicked around fiercely. It made her laugh, made her smile, made her talk animatedly.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

The image on the screen dashed any remaining traces of what had once been Kenshin's dreams and hopes for their future together. At one point, he had thought he'd had it all figured out. What was the use in making plans? Nothing ever came out like it was supposed to, anyway.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

Tomoe gripped his hand tightly and, clear as day, he could see the amazement shining in her eyes. She was going to be a mother. She wasn't just saying it anymore, it was no longer an abstract idea; it was every bit as real as the heartbeat rapidly thumping away, as displayed on the sonogram.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

Why wasn't he sad? Why wasn't he mad? Someone else was going to live the life he had mapped out for himself. Someone else would be the father of her child. Someone else would see it take its first steps and hear it speak its first word. Someone else would rock the baby to sleep. Someone else would play with its tiny toes and fret over its loud wails.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

Why wasn't he upset? Kenshin was disappointed in himself. He thought that accompanying his ex-girlfriend to her prenatal check up would rattle him and, in a way, it did. However, his feelings on the matter weren't quite what he'd expected them to be. He didn't regret that this incredible moment wasn't truly his. Out of solidarity, he was sharing it with Tomoe, and, albeit touching, it didn't move him like it would have had he wanted it to be his as well.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

There really wasn't anything left of their past except camaraderie, was there? It was disappointing and, in a sense, anticlimactic for their tumultuous love story to end in such a manner, was it not? There they were, at the obstetrician's, checking up on the health of a baby that had not yet been brought into the world, already he could guarantee that he wasn't the father and there was simply no tension in the air. The passion, the electricity, the emotions that had set their relationship apart were, more than absent, inexistent.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

What made Kenshin feel dizzy and sick to his stomach was that he was okay… with everything. That made him unwell. That made him wonder if, maybe, it hadn't all been for nothing. Had he wasted years of his life by pursuing a dream that had wound up being little else than a hallucination? Was this it?

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

"The baby's heartbeat is twice what the mother's is," the doctor gently explained.

"I read it would be this fast. Hearing it though…" Tomoe trailed off, awe making it impossible for her to form complete sentences. Her thoughts were far too jumbled, her heart very near bursting at the seams with excitement and joy.

"So far everything looks perfectly normal," Dr. Feist assured the mother-to-be, faintly rolling the transducer upwards.

"Kenshin, do you hear that?" Tomoe asked, her eyes boring into his. Something clicked inside him. "I think I'm falling in love."

Yes, this was definitely it. It didn't feel so bad.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

The room stopped spinning. Kenshin decided no words he could say would be enough, so instead he offered her a warm smile and squeezed her hand. He could move on now. Finally.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

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* * *

Chewing on her bottom lip, her hair a divine mess, she was scribbling away furiously, the words coming to her so easily that she felt she had probably reached enlightenment. She had written four pages of excellent material in under an hour and, the way she saw it, she felt so inspired that there would be no stopping her until it was time to go to school the next day. 

Ink smeared hands smoothed the creases on a sheet of paper that was seconds away from joining the neat pile on the right side of her desk. Twirling a strand of her dark hair round her finger, Kaoru reread her latest jottings before, with a satisfied grin on her face, proceeding to tackle the task of working on the play's next scene head on.

She felt incredibly wired and had everything mapped out. Maybe it was all the coffee she had been drinking or, perhaps, it was really God's way of apologizing for making her fall on her face one more time where a handsome redheaded man was concerned; either way, she found herself completely enamored with the activity at hand and, for the very first time, felt that her uncertainties regarding the production of the play and it's completion were unfounded.

Sitting at her desk, in a sleeveless, black tank top and blue Betty Boop pajama pants, Kaoru was definitely a vision of genial chaos at work. She looked like she'd either just rolled out of bed or had not quite made it to one in time, forgoing sleep for a fortnight or so. Her black eyeliner was smudged, her purple bra strap was showing and she had inadvertently drawn a blue line across her cheek with her fountain pen.

Working the kinks out of her neck, the determined girl breathed out a tired sigh and got right back down to business, metaphors, similes and hyperboles pouring out of her like a summer flood. Even when her life felt as if it was tilting sideways, disorienting her until she could barely tell north from south, writing made sense.

After having had quite the afternoon, Kaoru was grateful for the reprieve. Although emotionally she was a long way from being fine, the adjectives, nouns and adverbs swimming round inside her buzzing head kept her sane.

The ringing of the doorbell, however, popped the helium she had been feeding off of right out of the peaceful balloon she'd cocooned herself and flown off in, not that she initially took much notice.

"Moooom! Doorbeeeeell!"

Without missing a beat or dropping her pen, the high school senior continued to write, a small smile quirking her lips. Then, the doorbell rang again.

"Daaaaad! Doorbeeeeell!"

Figuring that someone in the house had most likely heard her, Kaoru remained glued to her chair, struggling to hang on to her quickly ebbing concentration. And, though her efforts certainly were valiant, they also were in vain, for, before she could pen down yet another word, the doorbell's ringing once again pierced the silence.

"SOMEONE GET THE DOOR!"

Indeed, it appeared to be that the young schoolgirl had used up all the breath in her lungs just to get that one scream to carry across the entire house.

Upon considering a tree falling in a forest, with no one around to yell timber after hearing it crash down, the laws of physics state that, since the vibrations the falling tree would make cannot be received by an ear or two – science has not yet managed to create ears that grow legs or have free will – then, technically, no sound is produced.

The doorbell rang, yet again. Apparently, the house was empty and Kaoru's parents had taken off without letting her know; either that or they were both showering…at the same time. Bad mental picture. Kaoru was forced to consider that the laws of physics and the masochistic part of her brain had one upped her once more.

Groaning, she made a big show of pushing herself out of her chair and left her bedroom in a huff, stomping down the stairs like a sulky five-year-old. Dragging her feet, Kaoru reached the front door and curiously peeked through the peephole.

"Soujiro?" she mumbled absently.

Out of reflex the teenager immediately looked down at herself, concluded that she was far from presentable, groaned, then opened the door.

"Soujiro?" she wondered aloud, a one man audience listening to her every word this time around. "What are you doing here?"

Soujiro flashed her one of his infamous winning smiles. "Misao said you were depressed. I thought I'd pop by and do my best to cheer you up."

"That's awfully sweet of you, Sou, but I'm afraid your cousin doesn't count as a reliable source."

"So… you're _not_ having boy trouble?" he pleasantly inquired.

Kaoru was sure she would go to jail for murder after she got through with her so-called best friend. "What did she tell you, exactly?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Not much, actually," he stated breezily. "She did say that she wanted to come over and give you the emotional support you required, but my aunt is currently keeping her very busy."

"…And…so, here you are?" Kaoru was having a hard time keeping up.

"I can connect the dots for you, if you want," Soujiro suggested in something of a condescending fashion, his eyes glinting mischievously.

"That would be wonderful. I mean, I appreciate you coming over and all, I just don't see how my alleged 'boy trouble' would be cause for, well, you being here right now."

"Well, Misao was sad that she couldn't make it, so I volunteered to take over her 'consoling a best friend' duties for the evening."

Kaoru smiled wryly. "Did you now?"

"Believe it or not, I _am_ that sensitive."

Bursting into peels of laughter, Kaoru felt as if a weight had suddenly been lifted off her chest. Soujiro was quite the character, wasn't he?

"Alright, I'll bite. What's in the bag?" she asked, pointing at the paper bag cradled in his arms.

"Basic necessities to deal with your crisis… I think." The handsome young man shrugged. "Misao sent a care package, but I have no idea what's in it."

"Does it feel cold?"

"Slightly so."

"There's ice-cream in there, and if I know Misao, a movie or two."

"What genre?"

"Most likely comedies. She could have thrown in a musical as well, but it's hard to say."

"I was afraid you would say something along the lines of romantic comedy."

"I tend to steer clear of chick flicks when I'm down."

"Lucky me!"

Smiling brightly, Kaoru took the large brown paper bag from the boy casually standing on the front porch.

"Are you coming in, or what?" she asked, pressing her hip against the doorframe.

"You're not going to ask me if I have any ulterior motives for being here? Or how I got past the gate, for that matter?"

Pure mischief was written all over his face and she knew that, were she to fall for the bait and do as he implied, she would probably be rewarded with an answer that she wouldn't know how to respond to. Not yet.

"Nope."

"Fair enough," he said, stuffing his hands in his trouser pockets. "So, what took you so long to open the door?"

"I was busy writing this thing for school."

"What thing?" he asked, shuffling into the house after her.

"Just a thing," she replied, closing the door with her foot. "Nothing important, trust me."

* * *

§

* * *

_**Act II**_

**_Scene One: _**_Nightfall. A tavern. A loud group of drunkards are huddled by the bar. Alone, at a table in a dark corner, sits a young man, furiously scribbling away in a notebook. **Ms. Writer** approaches him._

_**Ms.Writer: **May I sit with you?_

_**Young man: **Suit yourself._

**_Ms. Writer:_** _I'm sorry; it's just that I don't know anyone here._

_**(Removing her scarf and shrugging out of her coat.)**_

_**Ms. Writer: **I was told experiencing the town's nightlife was in order since I spent so many years cooped up at home. _

_**(Nervously taking a seat.)**_

**_Ms. Writer: _**_Seeing you sitting here alone, I ventured thinking that, perhaps, you could use some company?_

_**Young man: **It doesn't matter to me._

_**(Finally looking up from his notebook.)**_

_**Young man: **I'm used to being on my own._

_**Ms. Writer: **It seems we have something in common, then; up until recently I was a writer, you see. _

_**Young man: **Were you any good?_

_**Ms. Writer**: I'm not sure. Why do you ask?_

_**Young man: **I think I need help._

_**(Sighing heavily the Young man gestures at his notebook.)**_

_**Young man: **I'm so used to being on my own I can't remember a time when I ever did anything for anyone else. Now, here I am, sitting in this uninspiring tavern, trying to come up with words that would please someone else's ears… or eyes, rather._

_**Ms. Writer: **May I ask what it is that you are writing?_

**_Young man:_** _I am writing a poem. A love poem, supposedly. It just won't come out right._

_**Ms. Writer: **Perhaps a drink will help? Brandy on a cold winter's night can warm anyone right up!_

_**Young man: **I'm not much of a drinker. Besides, what's the purpose of being warm again if I can't bring myself to shed the frost off of these bland words? _

**_Ms. Writer:_** _If there's no warmth in your heart, there will be no heat in your verses. At least, I am of that belief._

_**Young man: **Brandy, port and whisky toddies: no good will they do me! _

_**(Disgustedly pointing at the men causing a ruckus by the bar.)**_

_**Young man: **Look what good it did them to drink their sorrows and displeasures away! And I bet half of them are in here bemoaning a love gone wrong! Is this where the road to love leads, to impossible sonnets and shady taverns? _

_**(Staring intently at a pair of brawlers throwing empty bottles around.)**_

**_Young man:_** _Look at them! Fools, the whole lot of them, that's what they are!_

_**(Brawlers halt their scuffle and direct their anger at the Young man.)**_

**_Drunk brawler nº1:_** _Who ye be callin' a fool, ei! Want a piece o' the action, boy?_

**_Drunk_** _**brawler nº 2: **Yeah! Wanna have a go a' me? I won' go easy on yer, junior, mark me words! _

_**Drunk brawler nº1: (**To **Drunk brawler nº2) **Ye'd go easy on a bug, ye goo' fer nothin' sod! To the **Young man) **Stan' up now!_

_**Drunk brawler nº 2: (**To **Drunk brawler nº1) **If I didn' go easy on the likes o' you, ye'd be dead, dumb ox! _

_**(The two drunk brawlers resume their fighting, all but forgetting the Young man and Ms. Writer.)**_

**_Young man:_** _People forget. They let go. Then they remember and it starts anew. It's vicious, this circle we find ourselves in. We never stop. _

_**Ms. Writer: **Surely things are not always so. If being surrounded by books of all genres has taught me anything, it is that all life stories have a beginning, a middle and an end, as does every situation that afflicts each and every character. At some point, things wind down to a standstill._

**_Young man:_** _Yes, and that point's name is death; I happen to deal with it a lot in my line of work._

_**Ms. Writer: **What is it that you do for a living?_

_**Young man: **I sell life insurance. It's the farthest thing from poetry, is it not?_

**_Ms. Writer:_** _I suppose that there's an art to everything._

_**Young man**: I second that. All things must be planned in detail; one can never be too careful, after all._

**_Ms. Writer:_** _I daresay, in my opinion art has little to do with the best laid plans. Then again, had I taken greater care with preparations, my muse might not have been so keen to desert me several times…? My guess is I'll never know, now that I've put in the towel._

**_Young man:_** _About that…_

_**(Seemingly intrigued.)**_

**_Young man: _**…_why **did** you quit?_

_**Ms. Writer: **Ah… Well, I presume that it was for the very reason you find yourself here, taking up such a demanding task. I was bored, you see, and tired, in a sense. All in all, I guess I was just lonely. Writer's lead lonely existences, you know; it's in the contract. _

_**Young man: **Quite the generic explanation. I'll have you know, though, that I am far from lonely._

**_Ms. Writer:_** _You're not lonely?_

_**Young man: **Not in the least. In fact, I'm perfectly fine with the way things are as of now. Constantly requesting a table for one doesn't seem so terrible to me. _

_**Ms. Writer: **Table for one? But…are you not in love with someone?_

_**Young man: **Not at the moment, no._

_**Ms. Writer: **But then…_

_**(Wearing a perplexed expression on her face.)**_

_**Ms. Writer: **I beg your pardon, but if you are not in love at all, then why ever do you sit around writing love poems or, at the very least, attempting to?_

**_Young man:_** _I'm bound to fall in love, aren't I?_

_**(Shrugging.)**_

_**Young man: **It is only a matter of time before I succumb to such a loss of control and I don't fancy being unprepared for **that**. Love happens to everyone eventually; why not get a head start?_

_**Ms. Writer: **No wonder you're having trouble! Since it's not your profession, writing poetry for a stranger must be near impossible!_

**_Young man:_** _Honestly, I don't think it matters. After all, people in love jot down verses and awkward rhymes, as silly as it is; I'm sure the results can be better if I still have a clear head about me. _

_**(Looking downcast.)**_

_**Young man: **What I fear most is the day reason will leave me. To fall in love: what a dreadful thing it must be…_

_**Ms. Writer: **Unspoken love does seem to be a bit harsh, but even there beauty can be found. I'm sure it won't be as bad as you believe. I've heard the most wonderful things about it, though I've been told that it can be brittle, but you seem like a careful enough man, lest I'm mistaken. _

_**Young man**: You are right, love in my hands will receive proper care. However, nor does that knowledge appease me, nor does it dissuade me from thinking that being a love fool shall be a truly unpleasant experience, when all is said and done. _

_**Ms. Writer: **So far, the people I've encountered have pointed out some negative aspects, but none have considered it quite as terrible as you, friend._

_**Young man: **Dreamers, the whole lot of them. It's the same as with these drunkards. _

_**(Staring openly at a group of four customers, poorly singing an old fishing tune.)**_

_**Young man: **You do not know much of human nature, do you Miss? Books, after all, are nothing in the face of experience. I'll have you know, then, that people are the strangest of creatures and that, men and women in love, they're the worst of all; they're like inebriated fools who know not what they say or do. _

_**(Suddenly inspired, the Young man stands atop his chair and addresses everyone in the tavern.)**_

_**Young man: **People drink and drink and drink, only to say what they regret, only to bring forth what they long to forget, only to get sick and swear to never drink again! Oh, the emptiest of vows! All too soon they forget and pay for another round! _

_**(All drinkers raise their glasses.)**_

_**All drinkers: **Hear, hear!_

_**Young man: **And what is there to say of those poor romantics? What is there to say for men and women in love and their ridiculous antics?_

_**(The Young man steps onto the table.)**_

_**Young man: **It matters not that hearts be broken or that things always end badly! Though they vow to abstain themselves, they always fall in love again gladly! _

_**All drinkers: **Hear, hear!_

_**Young man: **So barkeep, indulge me: pour these men and women as much poison to their veins as they see fit And whatever you do, do not judge me: all rounds are on me so long as their hearts are alit. These fools will empty their pockets before the night is through, drowning in liquor as only the lovesick do, so let me treat their sorrows to temporary relief; it won't be long now before I join the ranks of those in grief. _

_**All drinkers: **Hear, hear!_

_**(The Young man jumps off the table and towers over Miss Writer, abruptly looking serious.)**_

_**Young man: **As_ _the heart beats, I swear to you, yours and mine will one day be ground to fine powder. _

_**Miss Writer: **Why would you say such a thing?_

_**Young man: **It's inevitable, isn't it? Everyone learns to love eventually. We'll be done for then. There is no escaping it: true love waits. _

* * *

§

* * *

_Reviewer Responses:_

**To enroute: **You have a point: I've been taking things pretty slow with the way the story advances. This chapter, for instance, shows little action. Here we see that Kaoru has managed to continue writing the play, that Aoshi's active role in the story is closer to being revealed, that Kenshin is freaking finally truly willing to let go of Tomoe, though both the good and bad memories will always remain and I think I've mad it clear with how I left things off that Kaoru is getting chummier with Misao's dear old cousin. All the same, nothing much takes place in this chapter; it kind of sets the tone for what's to come. I don't know how I'll come about the highlights, considering I haven't written them yet, but it's quite possible that sudden action will take you off guard. I don't know about you, but I think a change in pace would be a good idea. I can't really confirm that I won't fall victim to a million clichés – I'm still a writer-in-the-making – but I do have a certain dislike towards the whole notion of stereotypes. In my opinion, the world isn't just white and black; there are tons of shades of gray. Take my Sano, for instance: sure, he's a jock, but he's got heart and, though he's not the brightest man alive, he's not dumb. I'm not gonna lie, I intend to use Soujiro for evil purposes, but I in no way intend to make him out to be evil incarnate. He's just a person who is going to make many wrong choices, has in fact already made plenty of them, and will deal with the consequences. He won't be a "bad guy"; he'll be a person who chose the road most traveled by confused people… and psychos. I hope that this longwinded explanation helped to assuage your doubts. If you have any more of this, by the way, feel free to ask away. Merry Christmas and happy New year!

**To DragonBlade666: **It's strange that I got such a good reaction from most reviewers for last chapter, because nothing much happened, you know? I'm so glad that you enjoyed it though, and I hope that this installment was also of your liking. I actually intend to make this fanfic into a novel with original characters and all – it's a lengthy process, I tell you – and, hey, if I ever get published, feel free to read the improved version! Thank you for reviewing, please bear with me and my sporadic updating and enjoy the holidays!

**To pyramidgirl89: **Grammar and spelling are incredibly important tools for the writing trade, although I hated every single minute of my grammar-centered classes with a passion when I was in school. A few semesters back, I took an English course at university that dealt with a lot of grammar and – surprise surprise – it was actually interesting. I think that the fact that my English teacher was the best teacher a person can possibly ask for helped a lot too. Always blame the teacher. Seriously. Getting their students to appreciate the subject is part of their job too; it's not all just about disciplinarian mumbo jumbo. Anyway, I hope you have an excellent Christmas or Hanukkah or whatever it is your religion celebrates this time of year. Till next update!

**To Michiru Kashyuuno: **I'm so sorry for the delay and I appreciate your faithful waiting. The opening of last chapter was actually inspired by something one of my reviewers, **De Lazy Lime**, wrote a while back. There's this song by Rilo Kiley called "Science Vs Romance" that she said could truly be this fic's main musical theme and, after experiencing a bit of writer's block, that comment came back to me and encouraged me to go with the flow of a mathematical theme. Thankfully enough, I can steer clear of math nowadays since I'm in college and studying journalism, so no trig for me! You know, I think that a greater example than my portrayal of the K / K non-couple for the difficulties men and women experience when it comes down to communication, is actually the S / M relationship. Kaoru and Kenshin tend to get a bit too cartoony sometimes; I feel that when it comes to being realistic, I do a far better job with Sano and Megumi. All the same, I'm glad you feel that this story holds a semblance of what the real world is like, despite its very much fictional quality. Thank you so much for reviewing – I know that sometimes it's very hard to find the time – I hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter and that you'll be able to have yourself a merry little Christmas! Here's to the New Year!

**To Anonymous but very interested: **I have another RK story called "All I wanted", but it's already completed. I also wrote a lame Inuyasha oneshot, if you're into that manga or anime. As for quick updates; they just don't happen on my turf, even if I try really hard. I'm slow as a snail when it comes to writing. Thank you very much for reviewing and may your heart also be filled with joy! Merry soon-to-come Christmas!

**To missaw: **It's perfectly fine if you review a little late; see how freaking long I take to update? I swear, every time it gets worse. Let's see… how do I write the way I do? Got too much free time on my hands maybe? No, that can't be it, otherwise my updates would be more regular. Oh, well, I'm a perfectionist, if it helps, so at least that accounts for how slowly I write, wasting time tweaking and tweaking. I have no idea where I'm going to start with chapter 28, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I will take much too much time paying attention to every little detail and tweaking away like mad. Maybe I should take up gardening, huh? Have an awesome Christmas darling and may this New Year's celebration be the one to end all others!

**To I Love Kaoru So Much: **I'm very happy to hear that this story has had such an impact on you and I'm sorry that I take so darn long to update. It's not because I'm mean or anything; I take long because I don't have so much free time and I am that slow when it comes to writing. The ideas come fast, you see, but the proper words and creating the proper ambience is time-consuming. It's like they – whoever "they" are – say: it's not about quantity, it's about quality. You're really funny, you know that? Thank you for reviewing and have a wonderful holiday season!

**To Queeney: **So I took your advice and updated when I was able; was it wonderful? See, Tomoe isn't such a bad person; she has a way of screwing things up for Kenshin and Kaoru unintentionally, that's all. Soujiro and Kaoru? That's an open-ended question, isn't it? The answers will come to you. Remember, I'm a K/K shipper. Remember, I have a nasty habit of surprising the pants off of people when I'm in just the right mood. Hehehehe. Thank you for sticking by me for so long. Happy holidays!

**To Rhapsody07: **Thank **De Lazy Lime** for mentioning something that inspired me to write the triangle piece. After I thought about it, the words just came out and there was no stopping them. Tomoe bears I bit too much resentment towards her mother, doesn't she? But it's not without reason: notice how, in this chapter, the person with her at the prenatal check up is her ex-boyfriend; none of her relatives are around. Hmm… _did_ you sense foreshadowing? I wonder… Well darling, thank you so much for being a constant reviewer and a potent cheer up factor at that! Have yourself a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

**To gwkitty: **Sorry for not updating sooner, but hey, since it's the season to be jolly and all, you can call this post a Christmas miracle! About your previous review: the subject I dealt with regarding Tomoe was very delicate – or, at least, I find – because it's something that so many people go through but don't say. Feeling underappreciated despite your best efforts: it's so common for nearly everyone and mother-daughter relationships are always tricky. Sometimes, parents have this tendency to ignore it when one of their children – at any age – calls it like they see it. I'm glad you were able to relate, though it makes me kind of sad too, because it's not something that's easy to deal with – I know from personal experience. Yes, Kaoru and Kenshin are being silly to the extreme and, no, there will not be any form of kidnapping or abduction in this story… at least not that I've mapped out up until now. As for love… Love is what it is and, if it were simple, so many people wouldn't be running after it every single day. You have a point, the down-to-earth people who keep it real lead less stressful lives, but at what cost? If you're always defining everything and accepting that things are the way they are all the time, then where's the hope? People do tend to idealize their loved ones and the situations surrounding them, but it could be worse. The dreamers could decide to go with the I've-got-my-feet-firmly-planted-on-the-ground crowd and see all the flaws in everything all the time, because they're living "reality". Living the real life is easier than actually daring to dream, though I have to agree and say that some folks are just alienated and exaggerate. Its one thing to dream, to hope and to believe in the goodness of others, and a completely different one to live walking from delusion to delusion, never getting a clue. Thanks so much for reviewing all the time, for being patient and putting up with my babbling. I love every single one of your reviews! I love that you always have something interesting to say or point out! Merry Christmas, sweetheart! Have a glorious 2006!

**To Ocean Fish: **Why is it that I'm always the one cursing openly by writing this story while everyone else gets to keep their mouths clean? Oh the woes of being a writer! I'm sorry, but I haven't checked to see if you've updated or not; finals just have this way about them, you know? I'll get on it soon, I promise. I don't think Soujiro talks like Kenshin on purpose; they both had the same schooling for a bit and, maybe, they happen to have more things in common than either one of them even knows. There was a bit of Aoshi this chapter: what do you say to that? Merry Christmas pookie! Have a fantastic New Year! Until the next update or e-mail!

**To Vic'chonn: **From what I can tell of the recent posts on your xanga, you will soon see the semester through. After all is over and done with at university you're going to go see your family, aren't you? I wish you all the luck in the world and there's no doubt in my mind that, being surrounded by your loved ones, you will have a great Christmas. Reading your review for last chapter, I have to say, your analysis of this story's theme was astounding and accurate. It's true, all the characters in this fic are connected to each other, even if it is only in the tiniest way, even if it is a only a certain emotion that they share in common. The main theme is growth – they're all in different stages of the incredibly difficult process that is growing up – and as they pivot round each other, every single character submersed in their own little world, they all try to make sense of things, as everything constantly changes, they try to hang on for the ride, without really knowing where they'll wind up. And no, nothing is ever easy; personal growth, in particular, can be a real bitch. I'm glad you were able to appreciate the full meaning behind the triangle theory; it's amazing how, though we don't personally know each other and our contact is fairly limited – that being mostly my fault, because I'm lazy and not much of an e-mail enthusiast – we seem to understand one another fairly well. As to the actual content of chapter 26: more information on Santiago will be forthcoming and, given time, Tomoe's situation will be resolved. Soujiro has a dark past, not unlike Kenshin himself. For now, that's all I will say on the matter – like if you didn't know all that already, huh? Yes, I'm a pain, but you love me for it. I understand if you can't always find the time to review, so long as you check in every once in a while so please, no guilt – I get enough grief from Kenshin in that department, but at least he's fictional. Speaking of poetry and languages, English does tend to come more naturally to me, despite the fact that I only lived in a country whose official language was English for three years. Everyone in my family speaks Spanish, so it should be the other way around, but I'm just weird that way, I guess. I like poetry too and I was wondering if any names in particular strike a chord with you. For me, it's e.e. cummings, Rimbaud, Andrés Eloy Blanco and Elizabeth Browning all the way. Que el año 2006 sea maravilloso, Vic; espero que encuentres lo que sea que busques, lo que necesites de verdad y lo que quieras más que nada en el mundo. Te deseo mucha alegría y paz. Hasta la próxima, vale? Después te escribo un e-mail más decente. Besitos.

**To Ri-nee-chan: **First off, I'm sorry I haven't been much of a xanga pal to you; reading some of the things you posted this week just now, I find it awesome that now I can discover so much staff about you that I didn't know. I was really sorry to read what had happened to your friends and immensely relieved at the thought that none of them were seriously hurt or anything. If you want more feedback for your xanga, I suggest you join one of the site's webrings, review some other people's pages and, who knows, soon enough you might just have a loyal following. Your last review, as per usual, was greatly uplifting. I'm glad that you like my Tomoe since I spend so much time working on her – every time she appears in this story, please remember that trying to keep her in character at all times has killed many of your onee-chan's braincells, okay? You were the only person to comment on the minor characters of the cafeteria scene; since I enjoyed writing those extra tidbits so much, I was very happy to see you mention them and compliment me for the way I handled that part of the story. Sadly, there was no KK meeting this chapter; have no fear, though, for the long awaited encounter will most definitely be coming soon to a computer screen near you! It's hard to be angry at Soujiro, isn't it? Especially since he has this tendency to behave so nicely around Kaoru… I wonder where that little habit of his will take us. As for your question: no, this isn't a reincarnation fic, at least not in the traditional sense. There are flashbacks to what could very well be a past life – like you mentioned, the almost-car-accident – but I use this kind of symbolism to deal with the fact that linked souls recognize each other. I'm not going to delve into the traditional RK world of the Meiji era, but, if on occasion I suggest that there might have been a past connection between KK, it is because I want to imply that destiny plays a major part in peoples lives and that their souls were fated to meet, as they had done once before or many times before, for that matter, in a past too remote for them to recollect. Ireny, I'm falling asleep on the keyboard here and I really want to upload this piece tonight, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut this reviewer response short, especially since, when writing to you, sometimes it seems that I could go on and on and on. Award for the best scene in this chapter? Tell me all about it in your next review, alright honey? I'm going to end this by wishing you a brilliant Christmas and a most spectacular New Year – not that you won't get e-cards from me to commemorate the events, but anyway. Write to me anytime, you know I'm always around, even if sometimes appear to get lost in cyberspace. Kissies and take care.

* * *

**Before I fall asleep right here, right now, thank you one and all for everything. You made this year even better than it was with bothyour encouragement and just criticism. Merry Christmas everyone!**

* * *


	28. Nothing happened

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY:_ Let's see…would I even be bothering with an internship at a local newspaper as opposed to wasting all of my days writing the grandest novel of novels if I owned RK? Think about it, I dare you.

**Quick little message from author: **As promised on my profile – those who look for answers there will, on occasion, find them – here is a brand new chapter of 180º ST&T. Yes, it has been forever since I last updated and, yes, next time will probably be no different. Currently, I'm supposed to be writing an article due yesterday, in a sense, but I figured it couldn't hurt to use my time productively in a non-professional way for a change. I worked hard on this – believe it or not – and I hope you all like it. My personal favorite was Misao's part, though I'm sure many of you will disagree. Until next time.

**Soundtrack: **Musically, this time around, every scene has a song to its name, but all of them are part of a whole, even though the chapter is clearly chopped up. All that means is that every song tends to continue at the end of its corresponding scene, bleeding into the atmosphere and first few lines or paragraphs of the following part of the installment. I sincerely hope that made sense. _Part I:_ "Twisted Logic" – Coldplay / _Part II:_ "Reflecting Light" – Sam Phillips / _Part III:_ "Evil and Flowers" – Bonnie Pink / _Par IV: _"Changes" – Butterfly Boucher; "Is this Love?" – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/ _Part V:_ "Fix you up" – Tegan and Sara / _Part VI:_ "Brand New Colony" – The Postal Service / _Part VII:_ "Close your eyes" – The Chemical Brothers feat. The Magic Numbers

* * *

**§ Chapter 28: Nothing happened §**

* * *

"_Fear is not a lasting teacher of duty."_

_-- **Marcos Tullius Cicero**--__

* * *

_

The sun was out. He was sitting alone. Through the glass, he icily watched the cars go by. It was worth it, he knew. But...was it really?

"You Aoshi?"

The tall college student peered impassively up into the chubby face of a short, middle-aged man wearing a mustard yellow and gray jogging suit.

"Who I am does not concern you."

Pulling out a stick of gum from his pocket, the slightly balding oriental rolled his almond shaped eyes.

"So you're one of the tough guys, huh?"

Aoshi averted his gaze down to the menu. He was in the mood for poached eggs.

The stranger shrugged. "You sure as hell don't get that from your old man." He noisily unwrapped the cinnamon flavored stick and rammed it in his mouth. "I can see the physical resemblance, though."

The undergrad remained silent. The only sound to be heard for a couple of heartbeats was the one made by the newcomer chewing loudly.

"I hear you want to have a chat with your dad." Smoothly, the stout man slid into the booth across from Aoshi. "Kid, I gotta ask; why would you even want to get involved with a guy who has never given a flying fuck about you?"

"It's not any of your business," said Aoshi, without looking up from his reading.

A chuckle escaped the man who had not, as of yet, properly identified himself. "For future reference, anything regarding that damned junkie, I _make_ my business."

Aoshi sized up his table companion. "Just to be clear," he said, boredom written in big block letters all over his face, "I'm not interested in his addiction, vices or your part in any of it. His problems have nothing to do with me."

"Then what do you want with him? If you look for Tadao, trouble's all you'll find, kid; everyone knows _that_."

"He owes me."

Slapping his leg, the man in the cashmere running outfit let out a hearty laugh. The boy might have been Tadao's kin, but he certainly knew nothing of his own flesh and blood's character, did he?

"Boy, if you're looking to collect, you're gonna have to get in line; this whole town wants your old man's head!"

"As long as no one gets to him before I do, it doesn't matter."

"I doubt anyone will. He's got…protection, if you will."

"Protection or no, we'll talk."

The man could not help the sigh that abandoned him. He was trying to do Sae a favor, per her request, but his charge was proving to be as stubborn as a mule.

"Look," said he, the mirthful, joking manner that had been his up to that point replaced by earnest seriousness, "Sae called me up and asked me to meet you down here, alright? She says you sound like a real nice guy, but hey, she married your father, which is proof enough that she's not the best judge of character. All the same, when she asks me for help, I'm incapable of turning her down and, by all means, at least you _look_ like a nice guy. If you happen to be one, then listen to me when I say that you do _not_ want to seeTadao Kinjo."

Aoshi set the menu down on the table with more force than was necessary. He had had enough. Good intentions led nowhere; he knew this for a fact. It was time to end the conversation.

"I did not ask for your advice." Piercing the would-be counselor with a frosty glare, he decided to set the records straight. "I am fully aware of what I am doing, and I assure you, despite what Mrs. Kinjo chooses to believe, I am not a nice man."

Nodding his head, the man pursed his lips and then chewed his gum thoughtfully for a few minutes, his yellowed teeth on display every time he widely opened and closed his mouth like some sort of mutant fish gasping for breath above water.

"Fair enough," said he at long last. "I'll let Sae know I did my best, but the fight clearly wasn't worth it."

He stroked his chin and yawned. It was too damn early in the day to be dealing with Kinjo's unresolved business. Openly staring at the young man who was pointlessly looking out the diner's window, he wondered what Yuriko would make of it all. She hadn't wanted to have anything to do with the kid's father once she got pregnant for good reason, hadn't she?

"Does your mom know you're looking for your father?"

Aoshi remained unresponsive. His silence spoke louder than words and for that, the older man sitting in front of him was sorry. How could she have known if she would never approve? Tadao had always been far from a saint and Yuriko had more than done right by her son deciding to raise him as far away from his father's influence as possible.

He wished he could tell the boy all those things, tell him that he had known his mother way back when, tell him exactly why she had run out on his old man… but, alas, it was not his place. He'd leave that to her, once she found out just what her son was up to.

"He's out of town right now, you know," said he instead. "Go back to the apartment in a couple of days; I'll try to get a hold of him and let him know you want to meet up with him."

With a nod, Aoshi confirmed he would do as he was told, seeing as it was truly what was most convenient and really all he _could_ do for the time being.

"My name's Saburo Mori, by the way." Aoshi listlessly stared at Saburo's outstretched hand, who quickly realized Kinjo's boy wasn't much for pleasantries and set it back down on the table. "You ready to order?" Without waiting for a reply, he called over the waitress. "Tsu, sweetheart, get over here, would you? I'm so hungry I could chew off my own arm!"

* * *

"_There are always flowers for those who want to see them."_

_-- **Henri Matisse** --

* * *

_

Smiling to herself, Tsubame leaned against the counter and sighed happily, nay dreamily. Ever since her mother had woken her up before the crack of dawn and told her the news a few days prior, she had been on cloud nine.

Truly she had never thought such a thing possible, but then again, there he was, listlessly stabbing at his breakfast. Her brother.

"Tsu, honey, he's going to think you have a staring problem."

Blushing furiously, the teen bit her lip and sighed, opting to look down at her feet instead; after all, was there a safer view than her own brown leather flats?

"I'm sorry; I just can't seem to help myself, Jiro." She fretfully tucked her hands behind her back. "Nothing this exciting has ever happened to me before."

The old man frowned. "Thrilling as it all may be, you take care of yourself, young lady." He chanced a glance at the men in the booth closest to the door. "This is all brand new and I don't want to see you getting your hopes up just yet."

Nodding her head, Tsubame let out a nervous chuckle and retreated to the kitchen.

Old man Jiro stayed behind, discreetly looking at the only two customers in the diner from his place behind the counter. Heaving a sigh, he removed his disposable hat and scratched a balding spot on his head. The girl had too nice a heart. The men seemed too much like trouble in order to be anything but. As if her excitement would let her see _that_ any time soon…

"Jiro, do you know at what time Yahiko comes in today?"

Startled, the cook turned around. He had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he had failed to hear the girl creep up behind him.

Blushing, Tsubame mistook his silence for something else altogether – the truth was, since she'd nearly given him a heart attack, he hadn't had the presence of mind to pay attention to her question – and figured offering him an explanation would make asking about Yahiko seem less like she was desperate to see the boy, which she kind of was.

"I…I need to talk to him about something, but I have to run a few errands after class and he never drops by this early, so…"

On second thought, maybe explaining didn't actually help her case. Oh brother, the last thing on earth she wanted to do was show the world she had a crush on the cute busboy; she'd never hear the end of it!

"I'm sorry, hon, who do you need to talk to?" Jiro asked, lifting his hand away from his chest and dropping it to his side instead. "I didn't quite catch what you said."

The teenager let out an uneven breath. Great. She would have to say his name again and put up with much teasing to come. Just great.

"Yahiko. At what time does he come in today?"

"Oh, I'm forcing that stubborn kid to stay away for a while; he needs to work less and study more if he actually wants to have a future."

"Oh. Well, I guess it can wait until tomorrow then," she said, unable to keep the disappointment from showing on her face.

"If it's so important, maybe you can talk to me about it…" he suggested, setting his hat on top of the counter, right next to a box of freshly baked pretzels. One of Mrs. Hamilton's sons always stopped by round 5:00 AM to drop off the delicious pastries and desserts that she made for the diner when she wasn't too busy catering for someone's wedding.

"Thank you, but I really think I should talk to him about it," said Tsubame, timidly ducking her head so as not to meet her employer's kind eyes.

"Well alright then, whatever you think is best," he conceded, playfully ruffling her hair.

Smoothing down her apron, the young girl gave Jiro a bashful smile before walking off towards the two men who had held her captive ever since they had each set foot within the establishment.

The old man saw her address them, tiny notebook in hand, and felt a sense of world-weariness wash over him.

Tsubame was a very sweet and innocent girl. Despite having a despicable man for a father, she still managed to see beauty in everything and everyone, even if she was prone to occasional mistrust. Which was only natural.

She should have been jaded, but she wasn't. She should have been one of those silly teenage girls, starved for the attention they never got back home, but that just wasn't her. Poor little Tsubame was stronger than she seemed. Like a flower that bloomed in the darkness, its sweet scent carried on the nightly breeze, so was she, permanently frozen in weak moonbeams threatened by the break of day.

And yet, he was afraid for her. He was afraid that, sooner or later, something would happen, someone would come along, and uproot her. Praying wouldn't be enough to save her then, for no matter how much one hopes against it, no one escapes growing pains.

It was only a matter of time now before the real world managed to sully the picture of life she had painted for herself and, sadly, Jiro thought that already he might be looking at the culprit, the one to rob a lovely girl of her childlike innocence. Time wasn't on her side; the true test of the living was learning how to cope with that type of knowledge.

* * *

"_It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."_

_-- **e.e. cummings** --

* * *

_

His arms went slack and fell to his sides. Quietly, he closed the door and went back to his room. Taking in a few ragged breaths he walked over to the bed and sat on its edge clenching his hands into fists.

She always did the same thing. She always brought a stray home, rolled out the red carpet, clothed and fed him, welcomed him between her legs and forgot. Forgot that she didn't know what it was like to let love in.

Sometimes he had to wonder if it wasn't intentional, if she wasn't into it, if she didn't get some sort of twisted pleasure out of being black and blue all over.

For as far back as he could remember, strange men had waltzed in and out of their lives, not one of them being the least bit kind to him or his mother – they could consider themselves lucky when one of them had the decency to not steal their money or drink himself into a violent rage.

Grimacing, Yahiko muttered a few obscenities, got on his feet and started picking books and papers off of the floor. There was no way he was going to be able to get any studying done knowing that his mother was in her bedroom having sex with some guy – to his misfortune, she tended to be a bit loud.

Angrily, he shoved his schoolbooks into his backpack, trying hard not to think on how much better his life would be if his father were still alive.

Maybe they would still be living in the same crummy apartment, eating stale bread and canned bean soup, but at least they would have had each other. They could have been happy, even if he still had to work a million shifts at the diner to pitch in. He could have been a son complaining about having chores to do as opposed to the man of the house bringing home the bacon.

Before heading off to the library, he put on a fresh pot of coffee and set the table. It was almost lunchtime and when it was all over those two were bound to be starving. Automatically, he found himself fishing for a vase and filling it with water. Stalking up to the kitchen windowsill, he plucked one of the flowers that grew on the window box and dumped it into the cheap glass container.

It was probably wrong of him, but he decided he might as well let her have her fantasy and think that this time things could work out with the man in the other room. Yahiko knew that it was a bad idea to encourage her, but he was all she had and their lives were far from easy; the least he could do was cushion the blows.

Besides, she had lost weight recently and was not feeding herself right, so it was really up to him to make sure that she didn't get sick. Jiro had said that he could stop over the diner at nightfall and take some of the day's leftovers home with him and, though at first he had refused, his pride getting the best of him, in the end he had had no choice but to concede, seeing as his mother's condition was really starting to worry him.

Shouldering his backpack, Yahiko made sure that he wasn't forgetting anything and then took off, mentally going over the groceries he had to buy at the supermarket and the chat he had to have with the Principal come tomorrow. Apparently, his grades had been slipping and every single one of his teachers had a bone to pick with him. The fact that the school counselor considered him an "irresponsible and immature rebel without a cause" certainly wasn't going to do anything to help his case either. But, hey, what did any of those blockheads know, right?

With a small smile on his face, the teen reached the bus stop and stood next to a young girl strumming a guitar, an expression of utmost concentration on her face. The truth was that she sucked and was rarely rewarded with the sound of a coin or two falling into the open case at her feet but, in Yahiko's book, she got props for effort.

* * *

"_Love is a battle, love is a war; love is growing up."_

_-- **James Arthur Baldwin** --

* * *

_

Sometimes he wondered at how effortlessly loving her came to him. Then again, more often than not he found himself thinking on just why the hell she had to make things so damn difficult.

Alright, so his heart _was_ set on the whole package, and that included the tantrums, the arrogance and the chronic criticism, and maybe, just _maybe_, that made him something of a masochist, but none of that was ever answer enough as to why their relationship couldn't be less… challenging.

To be perfectly honest, there were days when Sanosuke genuinely wasn't sure if putting up with her shit was worth it. The fact that she could never _ever_ pick a movie that _wasn't_ foreign for both their viewing pleasure certainly did not help matters.

"You could use a little culture," she stated airily, looking down at her nails rather than his face.

"Ever heard of American culture?" he grumpily asked.

"_Scary movie_ doesn't count as culture, Sano."

"Ever heard of _pop_ culture?" the tall man insisted. "Besides, the movie is a classic, the first in an ongoing series."

Megumi sighed. "Pop culture is mainstream and vulgar. Why not rent something slightly more original?"

"And just what the hell kind of music do you think you're making me listen to when you play your Backstreet Boys CDs? Newsflash babe: they're not underground and they're nothing if not commercial."

"Sanosuke, I don't even own _a_ Backstreet Boys CD."

He shrugged. "Do you really expect me to be able to tell all those freaking pretty boys apart?"

"Hey, I'm not the one who knows the names of every Westlife member," the slender woman commented, superiorly arching an eyebrow.

"I had just read an article about them in one of _your_ magazines; it's not my fault I have photographic memory!" he protested right before turning around and walking away.

The woman could really be a bitch sometimes! God!

He knew that there was no chance on earth that he was the only guy to complain when his girlfriend suggested renting a boring movie about kids looking for seashells and discovering the true meaning of life in the process, or some other corny plotline – after he had heard Megumi say the words "moving", "touching" and "tender" in the same sentence, his brain had decided to take a leave of absence and entertain itself with other thoughts.

But really, was it so hard to understand that he simply wasn't the sensitive type and that sitting through _The Bridges of Madison County_ had been nothing short of sheer torture? Why would anyone think he'd want a repeat of such torment? Why would _she_ believe that just because they we're together he had drastically changed to the point of actually liking romantic comedies and Iranian dramas?

Walking around the video store, Sanosuke pondered if perhaps there wasn't some truth in what they say: maybe women truly were from Venus after all. Of one thing he was certain: they definitely were not from this world.

Picking up a copy of _Die hard_ from one of the shelves, he knew fully well that he would never be able to rent it because, somehow, Megumi always managed to twist his arm and have her say. Nevertheless, he could not help himself from staring at the DVD with much longing, wishing that he could have his way for once in a 'ladies first' universe.

And so it was that, while daydreaming of a bowl of popcorn and off-duty cop John McClane cursing and bleeding on his TV screen, he heard the two teens talking, which quickly lead him to forget and ignore all his precious laments.

"Dude! I feel damn sorry for that dumb bitch's loser boyfriend!"

"Yeah, the guy must be totally whipped!"

"At least she's hot."

"I'd totally do her."

As the boy in the baseball cap continued to address the one wearing cargo pants, Sano felt his blood boil. Were they serious ogling his girl like that _and_ insulting her as well as himself? With him still in the building? Talk about having a death wish!

"Hey, you two!" he called, stalking over to the unsuspecting victims in question. "You got a problem with my girl's taste in movies?"

Victim number one looked over his shoulder and gulped. Victim number two cringed and bowed his head. Sanosuke smirked evilly.

"I asked you boys a question…"

"She can't bring herself to decide between _Fried green tomatoes _and _Forrest Gump_, so she's been asking everyone around her which movie they think you would like best; it's pathetic man!"

The quarterback had to hand it to the kid with the nose ring: he had cojones. Too bad he was a punch away from knowing that being gutsy didn't save you from physical violence.

"In other words, you dweebs think that she's pathetic and, if I heard correctly, that I, her boyfriend, am a loser," Sano spoke matter-of-factly. "Did I get any of that wrong?"

There was this thing about Sanosuke Sagara: the more easygoing he acted in front of strangers who had just insulted someone dear to his heart, the more dangerous he seemed to be. Also, probably because he had foregone his usual slouch, he looked taller and, frankly, quite menacing.

Nose ring boy screwed up his face into a scowl and, by the angry spark in his eye it was obvious what his immediate course of action would have been, had Sano not cracked his knuckles for emphasis. Fast as lightning, soon-to-be-human-punching-bag-number-two stepped in front of his daring friend and showed his true wimpy colors.

"Look man, we meant no disrespect."

"Well, the both of you _do_ look dumb enough to think calling someone a bitch ain't rude, so…"

Anticipation hung thick in the air as the football player pondered whether giving the idiots wedgies was really the right thing to do. In the past, he wouldn't have hesitated, but Megumi wasn't particularly impressed by public displays of violence and male ego trips. Sano sighed. It seemed that she had changed him more than he was willing to admit. Before, he would have been one of those kids, making fun of the guy who would be condemned to watching chick flicks at home just because his girlfriend said so. He had most certainly never had second thoughts prior to landing a punch, so he was beyond sure that that was all her doing. What was next? Accompanying her on a shopping spree, maybe?

The sad part was that that too was something she had already made him do. The party line was that he didn't care all that much because he enjoyed the time he spent with her. Also, the sex was great. And really, what self-respecting man would whine about having to deal with annoying saleswomen and shoeboxes when a good roll in the hay was on the agenda right after a loving girlfriend with an amazing body maxed out her credit card?

"Okay, you're off the hook."

Relieved, punked up Tweeddle Dee and Tweeddle Dum found themselves able to breathe easily again.

"But only if you two apologize to my girlfriend for calling her names."

Suddenly Tweeddle Dee and Tweedle Dum were crestfallen as crestfallen can be: if she was the puppeteer, as they well believed her to be, then surely they were doomed. By the malicious grin on their tormentor's face, they were dead on the money.

"It's not like she heard us," one of the boys protested.

"_I _heard you and have the manpower to back that statement up," Sano argued. "I win."

Resigned to their fate, both teenagers let themselves get hauled in the general direction of the beautiful woman's whereabouts. Up close she was even more stunning and the situation itself appeared to be ten times more embarrassing; to think that instead of hitting on her they would have to excuse themselves for having spoken ill of her within her marionette's earshot! What a pickle they were in…

"Hey Meg, look what the cat dragged in," the brown-haired young man bellowed, getting the attention of half of the store's clientele.

"New pledges?" she asked, tearing her eyes away from a DVD back cover. "I'm not going to have to have to talk Jason into letting them bathe again, am I?"

"Sorry to disappoint, babe; these guys have adhered to risky hygiene without our guidance." Sano patted the twosome on their backs, feeling awfully proud of himself as he remembered all the pain and suffering he had put oh-so-many pledges through. "Actually, they have something to say to you."

A momentary look of suspicion crossed Megumi's face. "Did you bribe a pair of strangers into telling me how the _Scary Movie_ experience changed their lives?"

"No, that was kind of a one time deal."

"Good, because it certainly did nothing for you the first time around, wouldn't you agree?"

Sanosuke pouted and sidestepped the two teens. "Do you wanna find out what they have to say, or not?"

Megumi sighed, disliking the drama. "Fine, but make sure they don't take all day. We have to stop by the supermarket to buy apples and some dog chow for Max."

The male undergrad blinked twice as he tried to process how apples could fit into a dog's diet, then let the thought go as soon as he reminded himself that he owned the most neurotic and insane poodle on Earth. Besides, if he didn't get things over and done with fast, tattooed and pierced Pinky and the Brain might think that it was okay to skedaddle.

"Guys?"

Nose ring boy muttered something unintelligible under his breath, which made his partner in crime elbow him in the ribs.

"We're sorry," said the one with the baseball cap, earning a puzzled glare from the gorgeous knockout he had been expressing regret to.

"Sanosuke," the woman in question spoke, "what do these kids have to be sorry about?"

"Gee whiz, Meg, I think Sparky over here will be more than eager to explain," he said, patting the chosen party on the arm.

"My name's Greg."

"You know _Greg_, my girlfriend has a name too. It's a shame ya didn't use it…"

"Look, so what if we called her a bitch? It's not like either of you were supposed to know about it and it's not that big a deal anyway, moron!"

"I'd like to think I misheard you, _Sparky_, but I'm not that naïve and the fact that you look like a textbook virgin, angry at the world because all the pretty girls from the pep squad don't even know you're alive, meaning you refuse to wear anything that isn't black and think dabbing on some mascara will finally make you stop being invisible, seems proof enough to me that my ears are working just fine."

During the silence that followed Megumi's words, the underlying question of whether getting beat up by an angry boyfriend hurt less than a scorned woman's venomous tongue arose.

"Sweetie, why is Greg here still in one piece?" she asked, her tone of voice far too sugary to promise nothing but utmost pain and far from pleasant things.

"Because you're not a fan of violence..?" he suggested, thinking that maybe it would have been better for everyone involved if he had just smacked the two boys around for a bit. Greg was looking green and affected, not to say conflicted.

Covering her mouth with a dainty hand, Megumi laughed in a way that could do things to a man… things that only the mention of Lorena Bobbitt's name can. Sanosuke cringed as did the dynamic duo, awaiting the female's next move.

"You're right," she said after catching her breath, "I don't like witnessing displays of violent behavior."

The three men breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's why I'm not in the parking lot, am I?"

Smirking, Sanosuke Sagara realized that she wasn't the only one who had undergone serious changes since the start of their relationship. In that moment, pride consumed him, because he knew that, had he not been the one to love her like no one else ever would, such a veiled proposition would have never passed her lips.

Sure, everything about them was a challenge, an argument waiting to happen, a confrontation. But, everything about them was love, and it showed, fracturing hordes of people along the way, if he were to abide her orders. As if he ever did things her way when she wasn't looking… Bah, he was going soft, wasn't he?

* * *

"_Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets."_

_-- **Paul Tournier** --

* * *

_

They remembered it differently, the day they met. It had always been something of a joke between them, the way neither could agree upon how they had ended up talking to each other.

Putting down her cup, Tomoe looked at him – _really_ looked at him – and grew pensive. He was too engrossed in his reading to notice her detailed scrutiny of a man that had once, in a long distant memory that could have very well been a dream, told her he was tired of going at it alone. Back then, he had been eighteen and lonely.

After his parents died, he had spent most of his days feeling lonely, getting used to not really having anyone, toughing it out on his own. Was he still convinced no one was on his side, she wondered? Had he ever really stopped? Had he ever believed that someone cared for him?

She knew that living with Hiko mustn't have been easy. She knew that the loss of his parents had left a void in him no one had been, thus far, able to fill. She knew he was a master at fooling the world into thinking that nothing was bringing him down, that he was perfectly content with his life.

Kenshin hid from the world, as did she, but she had never really been able to understand why. Was he still tired of facing every day without having someone to lean on? Was he afraid of what would happen if someone found him out?

"Are you lonely?" she questioned, her dark eyes intently fixed upon his relaxed figure.

"Aren't you?" he shot back without so much as sparing a glance in her direction.

Tomoe thought about it, never one to speak on impulse. "Sometimes," she answered eventually. "Sometimes I feel I've been loved enough to know better."

After that, he kept reading and she kept worrying. She knew what he was capable of. Because he thought no one should ever be alone. Because he didn't want to take any chances and discover something that could change him for good.

"Don't ask me to marry you," she said.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because we aren't in love," she replied.

"But we love each other," he refuted.

"Not as we should in order to marry," she explained.

"Okay," he consented.

Not once had his eyes abandoned the book in his hand and, as he turned the page, she knew she would too, once and for all. It was then that Tomoe finally realized why she had gotten on that plane: to understand.

"Kenshin, I'm ready now," she proclaimed.

"I'm glad," he affirmed.

"Do you think he'll be mad?" she asked.

"Probably, though not for long," he answered.

"It's the right thing to do," she stated.

"I know," he confirmed.

He was happy for her, she knew. He only wanted her to be happy; that's what he had told her right before they kissed for the first time. Years had gone by, but she knew that that had not changed in the slightest.

Tomoe tried to smile, but failed miserably. She had been selfish, wanting to be happy with him, never questioning the nature of their relationship, of what their being together alone could do to someone like him. She was lonely sometimes; he was lonely all of the time.

What he needed in his life was laughter, kindness and maybe even mischief. Kenshin was in dire need of someone who could make him close the book he was so wrapped up in, someone who could capture his attention without even trying to, someone who could hold his face in her hands and tell him he wasn't alone anymore with such conviction that he would allow himself to believe it.

"Ken, we're both fools," she uttered.

"How so?" he inquired

"We're so scared we'll loose that we won't even try," she said.

"It's funny," he began, the book in his hands all but forgotten as he stared intently at something she couldn't hope to see, "people are so afraid of loosing, but I'm afraid I'll win."

"What's so bad about winning?" she asked, surprised at his sudden desire to partake in a conversation.

"That the girl gets stuck with me."

* * *

"_Things do not change; we change."_

_--** Henry David Thoreau **--

* * *

__Everything will change._

Kaoru stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her nose looked too big for her face, her eyes too far apart. A frown tugged at her lips that just didn't seem to be full enough.

_If I do this, everything changes._

Tugging at a strand of her hair, she cursed her lack of curves. She let her eyes slide closed, fearful of opening them again and finding that not one thing about her had changed.

_Once I make my choice, there's no going back._

Her chest heaved up and down as she forced herself to repress emotions she would rather not deal with. There were too many imperfections – why was she born so flawed?

_And it's for the best really._

Kaoru blew air into her clasped hands, but remained as cold as if she had not once tried to warm them. With a sniffle, courtesy of an oncoming flu, the teenager squared her shoulders and squinted her eyes open.

_Because things can't stay the way they are._

Her nose wasn't smaller and her lips were not plump. She still hated her thighs and could definitely do without the prominent forehead.

_I'll go mad otherwise._

She was not a thing of beauty, even if carefully applied makeup concealed some of the more obvious defects that didn't require a plastic surgeon's scalpel to slice and dice and reshape. Even if a pair of platform shoes elevated her to new heights, she still knew herself to be too short.

_Things **will** change, right?_

So what if her inky hair framed her face just right? So what if she didn't need blush to fake high cheekbones? So what if she had a flat stomach and a long neck? What difference did any of those things make if she just didn't feel pretty?

_I can alter every single thing, can't I?_

A halter dress in multicolored stripes does not make the girl, just as the cowl does not make the friar. And a distraction most assuredly does not make for an everlasting diversion, regardless of the best of intentions.

_If I try, I just know I can make this work!_

Heaving something of a withering sigh, Kaoru grabbed her purse and headed out the door, ready to be everything she was not. So long as she could forget him, she would be the perfect date. And though the lie would not change a damn thing, she would play along and seek to distance herself from what she wanted the most: the attentions of the man who had _not_ asked her out to dinner.

* * *

"_A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow"_

_-- **Charlotte Brontë** --

* * *

_

There's this tendency to presuppose that if our eyes have failed to see anything new or different then, certainly, it means that all has remained the same, that no change has came about. If there is no physical evidence, then nothing has happened.

And yet, despite such logical reasoning, there is always an underlying feeling, a gut instinct, tugging at the edges of the rational mind, suggesting that, as absurd, intangible and indefinable as it may appear to be, something is calling for our attention, something is lurking in the shadows and stirring within us.

We tell ourselves that nothing changed, that nothing matters, that there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Nothing happened…but, really, can we be certain? Because, if life has anything to teach, it is that every time shoulders shrug and eyes stubbornly close themselves to the bigger picture, something is a brewing.

Even when there are no leads to indicate otherwise. Even when we are fairly certain that all is as it always has been. Even when nothing happened.

Slowly, Misao's eyes opened, her nose partially buried in a musty-smelling sofa's armrest. She hazily drank in the sights and sounds of the party, her mind absently registering broken speech and the slight pressure of a hand resting on her thigh.

"Aoshi?" she whispered, her throat dry, her eyes involuntarily sliding shut.

Of course it wasn't him; it never was. Though she longed for it, though she kept on dreaming, though she tried her hardest, it never changed: it was never him.

The pounding of a drum. A throbbing vibration beneath her feet. Sultry vocals floating by, like tendrils of smoke curling towards the ceiling.

Gently, Misao took hold of the stranger's wrist and planted a soft kiss on his palm. The whole world swimming behind closed lids brought forth familiar comfort, but she was not blind to the truth, despite the freely flowing beer.

"If only…" she murmured, a pair of wet lips moving along her jaw.

Of course she wanted it to be him; that's what she always wanted. Though she could imagine it, though she was more than willing to pretend, though she was able to picture them together perfectly well, the fact remained: he was never hers.

Colored lights bouncing off the walls. A blur of anonymous faces. Sweaty bodies grinding away and moving up and down like wooden horses on a galloper.

After Misao had reopened her eyes, the dance floor had turned into a carousel rotating around the sofa, complete with fairy lights and barley twist poles that did nothing but make her head spin. Nevertheless, she kept on staring emptily at the chaos surrounding her. A rapid succession of memories of her quixotic attempts to win her neighbor's heart flooded her mind, the pathetic images dancing in time to her quickening heartbeat.

"Please," she pleaded to no one in particular, her arms reaching out to a ghost smiling at her in the crowd.

Of course she knew he could smile again; she had seen him do so before. Though she believed, though she dared to hope, though she could remember him being happy, yesterday was forever gone: he just wasn't the same person she used to know.

The echoing of shattering glass. A puddle of vomit by a fallen lamp. Sweet nothings coming from the wrong mouth, like love letters sent to an old forwarding address unawares.

Defeated and miserable, Misao let the boy sitting beside her take control of the situation. His fingers combing through her hair were distracting and the sensation of his breath on her neck made her toes curl. Once one of his adventurous hands slipped beneath the hem of her beaded top, she sat up on the sofa and pushed him on his back. As languidly as she knew how, she positioned her legs on either side of his hips, a wicked smirk playing on her lips.

What if she were to develop feelings for someone else? What if she stopped chasing after Aoshi, refused to continue playing the part of loyal lapdog? What if she decided that it was time to move on? What if there was no time like the present?

Misao searched the stranger's face for something she couldn't quite place. Whatever it was, she did not find it.

"You're beautiful," the boy said.

"So are you," she told him.

Shortly thereafter it became impossible to tell where one of them began and the other ended as they passionately lost themselves to kisses and caresses, becoming a tangled heap of writhing limbs on the upholstered seat.

Somehow, Misao suddenly found herself pinned beneath him and all was well with the world for a few seconds as they parted for air. Then, reality set in. And she was still in love and he still wasn't someone other than himself and she was still tired and feeling sorry for herself and she still wanted to try and go against those windmills and the strobe lights were blinding and the music was too loud and her hands were on his shoulders and they were both beautiful and she needed to make it all fade away and his lips were on hers again and she was slipping away again and she closed her eyes and she forgot and she remembered and it hurt to feel unwanted and his hands were strong and…

"Do you want to go upstairs?" he asked, a boyish grin on his face as he disentangled himself from her embrace.

"…Yeah," she heard herself answer as he dragged her to her feet.

Placing her hand in his, she let him lead the way to the staircase, let him guide her up the stairs, let him take her to an empty room, let him remove her clothes, let him lay her down on a bed, let him make her cry out someone else's name, let him hold her to his chest and let him tell her he would still be there come morning.

Misao tried to let his soft snores lull her to sleep, but the party downstairs was still in full swing and it was impossible to tune out the sound of a college rock-band entertaining the masses.

Slowly, the teenager opened her eyes and hazily drank in the sight of the dark-haired youth resting beside her – not that she could make out much in the dark. What had she done?

"Does this change everything?" she wondered aloud.

Of course it didn't; there was no way it could. Though she felt guilty, though she was finding it increasingly harder to breathe, though she felt like something very important was suddenly absent, her convictions were strong: nothing had to change since, after all, nothing had happened.

The sleeping figure on the other side of the bed stirred as if to prove her wrong, as if to mock her for her naiveté.

"Nothing happened," she assured both the boy and herself.

Warily, Misao propped herself on her elbow and awaited his rebuttal. However, he truly was fast asleep and thus in no condition to argue with her which, oddly enough, made her feel somewhat disappointed. With a sigh, she buried her face in her pillow and decided to call it a night.

However, sleep would not come to her for, long after she had closed her eyes, her conscience remained wide awake and functional. What she had done didn't have to mean something, but it _could_ change things, couldn't it? It wasn't what she wanted, but it wasn't something she could fight against either. She could deny it, she could hide from it and she could kiss it away. She could sleep it off and she could ignore it, but it would always be there wouldn't it? The truth would always stay with her.

Fighting back tears, Misao knew the reason why. She had wanted to escape. She had wanted to get away from an obsession that was doing horrible things to her. She had wanted to change the channel because she was tired of being the one to sit and wait, to go against her very nature in order for another rerun to get aired and spoil her evening.

"Nothing happened," she whispered to herself, her long tresses fanned out on the pillow, the lone tear making its way down her cheek telling an entirely different story.

Something had shifted. Something inside her that had been crying out for attention for far too long had finally grown quiet. Something had gone right on ahead and broken itself. She was pretty sure that it was her heart that had been, at last, done in.

Eventually, the girl succumbed to slumber, her muscles going slack, the heavy oppression on her chest a just cause for her shallow breathing. Her dreams were unpleasant, but she would likely forget them in the morning, when her eyes would flutter open and the sun would shed some light on her latest mistake. And that mistake, she was sure to turn a blind eye on in the hopes of being able to keep on pretending that nothing had changed.

Quietly, Misao would pick her clothes off the floor, get dressed and walk out the door without as much as a backward glance. After all, nothing happened.

_

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Reviewer Responses: _

**To en route: **I believe this chapter shows that Tomoe does care about what happens to Kenshin in the long run. Like most of us, she has that inherently human selfish streak that leads her to make her own problems the center of the universe, but she does worry about him in her spare time. As for Kenshin… he is an idiot and I'm flattered that I was able to make you hate one of animes most beloved characters. However, as this installment reveals, he doesn't think of being with Kaoru as a chore or a charitable deed; he's scared he'll hurt her and, as loath as many men are to admit to such things, that she will hurt him in turn. Despite all my explanations and my sticking up for the guy, Kaoru has apparently decided to take your advice and seek out some real companionship in Soujiro, though: I wonder how _that _will turn out. Also, I agree, I don't think Soujiro would seek to deliberately hurt our girl if he could help it. Speaking of the devil, I'm glad to hear that you like my version of Kaoru, whom I have tried to make both likeable and flawed. Sometimes I worry she's a little too perfect, but your comments set me at ease. And, now that I think about it, I realize that I probably shouldn't be too concerned, because as a character, she has one major fault and that is her ability to care for Kenshin in spite of his behavior and his lack of enthusiasm in regard to the future. He truly is a guy that lives tied to the past and caring for him isn't exactly what I would call healthy, though – once again the defense speaks in the man's favor – he has his moments. Sorry that I made you wait so long for an update, it's just that there's no escaping it: growing up comes with a heavy dose of responsibility that I am barely learning to cope with. Kissies!

**To Crewel: **I noticed that you're a fan of the S/M relationship. Since I have miraculously managed to give nearly all central characters their fifteen minutes of fame in this chapter, once again Sano and Megumi had a chance to show the readers just what makes them as a couple so great. I'll be expecting to hear your opinion on the scene at the video store because, well, I take this writing gig seriously and any pointers are always welcome. I hope all was to your liking and I apologize for the delay.

**To Dreycy-chan: **You're right, the plot is something of a lazy slowpoke and I've tried making amends, but apparently I've got a flair for the longwinded and roundabout. That being said, I rather like this chapter, perhaps not as a whole, but rather… I don't know, I think I'm satisfied with having made all main characters have their say in one go. Thanks for taking the time to review and for enjoying the show.

**To DragonBlade666: **It's good to hear that you're okay with sporadic updates because, unfortunately, that's this year's watchword. I would really love to be able to write more often, yet… life is keeping me pretty busy right now, specifically my first real job, which is a rather frightening thought, but my boss is one of the good guys so all's well that ends well. Soujiro cheers up Kaoru and now dinner's on him; have I got your attention? See you on the reviewer's block next time around!

**To Hold My Own: **Actually, you got me: the snippets of Kaoru's play are also of my authorship and heavily influenced by overdosing on Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams alike. Does the intrigue come from liking them, I wonder? Granted the style is pretty different to the rest of the story, which more than warrants your question. Love in ten chapters…huh. Tell you what, if it were a foolproof guide, I would rush off to the nearest bookstore and buy the first copy I could get my hands on. I agree with you, though, the plot evolves slowly and it does frustrate me at times, but what can I do? I'm working on it, but I won't make any promises – I'm a slow learner. Until next we meet again!

**To Nyako: **So sorry I've made you wait so freakishly long for an update! It makes me happy to see another S/M supporter out there – there don't seem to be that many anymore. Megumi's thoughts last time were rather serious, profound and somber, so in this chapter I chose to make the couple's interaction more lighthearted and I picked a video store as a backdrop to showcase the trivial, how they are together ever day and how their relationship isn't only about a series of dramatic events taking place. Let's cross our fingers and hope that it was the right call. I'm afraid that a new update will be long in coming as well, but rest assured that I, under no circumstances, intend to abandon this story. Thanks you for your support.

**To Queeney: **I think Kaoru in "writer mode" is pretty much a safe description of nearly every author on this site! As for the "is there going to be a Kenshin-Kaoru-Soujiro love triangle?" question that seems to be on everyone's minds… "Acute angles" was a chapter whose intro revealed the answer very surreptitiously and now I think that this upload rather speaks for itself, wouldn't you agree? Then again, according to you, it seems I have myself a "reputation", so… who knows, right? Stay tuned if you're intrigued because next chapter is looking quite promising!

**To junyortrakr: **Kenshin is indeed ready to move on, or rather to leave the ghost of Tomoe behind. However, there's still his post traumatic stress to deal with and that is the real barrier that separates him from Kaoru. Tomoe was never an obstacle – if you paid attention, he never once admitted to being in love with her still, only to caring for her very much – but she is a part of a past that, for some reason, continues to haunt him. Are his fears unfounded? I think that is a question worth asking. Of course, thus far, Kaoru has no clue as to the fact that he has decided to disentangle himself from the possibility of rekindling an old flame, a likelihood that truly only existed in her mind, since he, as I mentioned before, was no longer in love with Tomoe when he bumped into the schoolgirl at the beginning of the story. Am I making any sense? Sorry if I'm a bit verbose, but I'm just as much in love with this fanfic as you guys. Thanks for reviewing and for caring as much as I do.

**To sexylucifer: **Sorry, updates are going to be slow in coming this season.

**To Dice-lord: **I'm really not that good at coming up with titles or summaries. I'm glad you decided to overlook that and read this fic anyway. Maybe I'll hear more from you soon? If not, stick around anyway – I love all my readers, whether they review or not.

**To weaselgirl1992: **Thank you! It has been a long a wait, so I hope that you liked this chapter and weren't too disappointed.

**To lauralizzie07: **Guess what? Iram's back! That, and so are Sanosuke and Megumi, characters that play an important part in this story, despite Kaoru and Kenshin being the true protagonists. Tell me what you thought of the chapter, okay? By the way, what's up with the new pen name? Lots of love, chocolates and marshmallows for you!

**To missaw: **You truly are one of my most faithful reviewers; thanks for the continuous encouragement! You mentioned that the play at the end of last chapter "tickled" you… in a good way, I hope? Late reviews, late updates… it's a vicious circle, I tell you! Oh well, life happens, am I right? Till next time!

**To flaming-amber: **Kenshin's face when he sees Kaoru with Soujiro… yeah, I can't wait to see that either. You know, I had something entirely different planned for this chapter, but the characters they just do as they see fit and I have no choice in the matter. Sometimes I feel as if though I'm the means to an end and they're the ones pulling the strings, as crazy as that sounds. In other words, if this story is quirky, casual and stimulating, take it up with the cast; they're the ones who deserve all the credit, I'm just along for the ride. Thank you for the praise – on occasion, the ego needs a boost.

**To Safe Matches: **Are matches really all that safe, I wonder? Pyromaniacs beware, Carries is here and she will thwart your attempts at burning a house down by always playing it safe! Thanks for the incentive, sweetie; it does make a difference.

**To Anonymous but very interested…: **The truth is, I'm not sure yet if Kenshin is willing to admit he has feelings for Kaoru, but I hope he is. Though I haven't started working on the next chapter, I'm pretty confident that Kaoru going out to dinner with Soujiro will have its fair share of consequences and our boy is bound to witness the fruit of his indecision. As to there being a love triangle… "Acute angles" was a chapter that answered that question, though in metaphor. We have to keep in mind just who Kaoru is at all times. In other words, can there be a love triangle with a person as particular as Kaoru in the mix? The play definitely serves to reveal feelings that she isn't quite comfortable admitting to, so be sure to look for hints there. Like any aspiring writer, she tends to ink down her innermost thoughts even when she's scared of speaking her mind out loud. I'm afraid that this chapter didn't quite have all that much action…or did it? Now that I think about it, several characters ended up getting their groove on, so maybe there actually was more than enough action this time around. Certainly many people won't be pleased with the Misao scene, but that is to be expected, right? After all, it's never nice to see someone you're rooting for screw up. I did make a Christmas wish and, so far, it is coming true, so I'm happy. Did you make one? Let me know in your next review.

**To I Love Kaoru So Much: **Though I thank you for your support, I wouldn't go as far as to say that this is the best RK story out there. I mean, let's be fair: authors like Aryanne and JaneDrew totally kick ass! That being said, I appreciate the praise and feel immensely honored by your inspiring comments. Drunk Kaoru is a hoot, I'll grant you that, and it's cool that you printed out the story – poor rainforests! – and also that your review was late in coming – how can I complain when I take so darn long to update? Anyway, Kenshin truly is one chapter too late, but we all know Kaoru, don't we? She's got a heart of gold and, sadly for her, is kind of a sucker, so… we'll see what happens. Besides, our boy might be dumb as a tree stump, but there's a reason we all love him, isn't there? I think the time has come for his adorable qualities to resurface, wouldn't you agree? Everyone seems to hate him lately and, personally, I find it lame to hold grudges, so he had better start showing some of that Himura charm if he wants to win back his audience. It's been months and I honestly cannot tell you when I will update again – I'm swamped and stressed out to the max – but I'll bear your desire for quicker updates in mind. Sweet dreams, honey and bai-bai!

**To gwkitty: **Let me tell you a little secret: your thoughts on the previous chapter's Sano and Megumi scene were spot on. You may not have experienced the kind of love they share and you may not consider yourself old enough to fully grasp certain concepts, but your appraisal of the situation and moment the couple is currently going through is as accurate as accurate can be. Sanosuke is dissatisfied, despite being very much in love – at the beginning of this chapter's S/M scene his frustration is very evident – whereas Megumi, the one who didn't want to become involved initially, is the person most content with their relationship, though she is concerned with how it will all turn out in the end, precisely because of her boyfriend's attitude. You were curious about Aoshi and more on his mysterious adventures was revealed today. I find it odd that no one made the connection between him and Tsubame sooner, more specifically when he showed up at her mother's doorstep – I guess the information must have come as something of a shock, then. Some of your questions, I can't answer yet, but you can knock yourself out guessing and, most likely, you will discover that you knew what was going to happen all along – sometimes, I can be predictable. Thank you for your kind words and for the time you take reading and analyzing this story; it means the world to me.

**To Aryanne: **Do you really think Kaoru is going to get hurt? I think she is, but I also think it's quite possible that she too will hurt others in the process. She's not perfect, you know, she's perfectly capable of making wrong choices, like anyone else. Soujiro can be manipulative and all he does is premeditated. However, how far down a road can you go before you wind up getting lost and have to stop and ask for directions? Man do I feel like The Riddler today! See you next chapter!

**To Vic'chonn: **Just so you know, your review moved me. Wanna know why? Because you said that this story someway, somehow, connected with your life and that is mainly what I aim for when I write, to make connections. Thank you. The "in and out and in again" bit last chapter wasn't only about breathing; you understood everything I was trying to convey with those measly words. In fact, that part was, in a sense, a continuation of the theme of "Acute angles", wherein the cyclical aspect of life was brought to light using geometry, of all things. I've said it before and I'll say it again, all I'm writing about is growth because all I am is a twenty-year-old learning how to cope with new experiences and the process of becoming an adult, like most of the people who access this website. Therefore, you make perfect sense, I get where you're coming from and we are both on the same page. By the way, you bring up a very important subject: friendship. Kenshin no longer loves Evelyn and Evelyn clearly has feelings for someone else, but that will not stop them from remaining friends. Everyone is concerned that Tomoe will ruin everything, but the only ones capable of making all hell break loose are Kenshin and Kaoru themselves. Lamento no poder escribirte a menudo, pero de verdad ahora estoy, como se dice en mi país, vuelta un ocho. Conseguí una pasantía en un periódico y no tengo tiempo para escribir absolutamente nada que no tenga que ver con noticias. Me pregunto – pues no lo he olvidado – como sigue tu pierna y como van tus estudios. Si quieres mandarme un e-mail, prometo que intentaré responderte tan pronto me sea posible. Me encanta que seas una de las lectoras de este fanfic y aprecio mucho tus comentarios, además de que eres una persona super simpática y no quiero que dejemos de estar en contacto. Besitos y hasta pronto. Cielos, mi español cada día está peor!

**To Ri-nee-chan: **First of all, how is Japan treating you? As you can probably tell, I decided to go against the flow this time and forewent the usual longwinded opening scene, instead getting right down to business. To compensate for the loss of the pensive entry, the last scene of the installment begins with a lengthy paragraph waxing philosophical on things like change and denial. Once again, Megumi makes an appearance, though it is Sano's head we get into. Once again, the woman proves herself to be unpleasant. You have said you don't know if you like her and I'll tell you that I know for a fact that I do, because she makes me laugh with her clever wit and because she makes me feel for her, seeing as the poor dear is so guarded and complex. She means well, but her methods are ruthless and, thus, I understand your ambiguous thoughts on the character. In your opinion, last chapter put Aoshi back in all his cannon glory; I wonder if I was able to keep it real this time around and make him out to be the hard, decided man who puts duty above all else, the man he truly is. As for Sano and Kaoru and the "controversial" laundry scene, I think what happened there is that Sanosuke is a guy, he's Kenshin's best friend and, no matter how wrong he thinks his roommate is, men stick together. Since he likes Kaoru well enough, he was confused and acted in a detached manner, not willing to take sides. I'm glad you liked the concept even if Sano's lack of warmth troubled you. In fact, as I reread your last review, I'm beginning to notice that what bothered you most about the chapter were the "colder" parts, situations wherein the characters didn't really put their heart into things, where all was quite cerebral. I appreciate your criticism and, believe me, I'm making notes, so fear not disagreeing with the way I portray things sometimes, I won't take offense, okay? Your reviews are important to me and vital to the story, since they help me fix whatever needs fixing and help keep me on track. Thank you for all the praise regarding the play scene last chapter – although I enjoyed writing it, I spent so long working on it that it began to get frustrating near the end. On that note, what was your favorite scene this chapter? I'm going to have to make this short because it's late, I have to go to work tomorrow – did you receive the photo I sent you of the office? – and this chapter needs to get posted ASAP. Kissies and good luck in the Land of the Rising Sun!


	29. The shoes we are filling

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY_: Because I own ideas and little else…

**To my lovely readers: **I am sorry for the delay. Since I'm writing my thesis and being an intern takes a lot out of me – mind you, it's a wonderful workplace – I simply have my hands tied and this story is, sadly, part of a fictional realm currently at war with the kingdom of Real Life. I stand on enemy lines refusing to surrender, but I find myself outnumbered. Still, I'll find a way to make it out alive; in the meantime, please keep on being patient. I have foregone the Reviewer's Response section that should be found, as per custom, at the end of this installment; I simply have no time to get back to each and every one of you in detail right now and my doing so would keep you waiting even longer for an upload, something none of us need at this point. Enjoy the chapter, there is more to come and, please, don't forget to review – I treasure every single message I receive. Kissies, Anna Iram.

**Soundtrack: **_Part I:_ "I turn my camera on" – Spoon; "Fall line" – Jack Johnson / _Part II:_ "Little girl blue" – Janis Joplin / _Part III:_ "Between love and hate" – The Strokes; "I want you" – Bob Dylan; "Modern romance" – Yeah Yeah Yeahs / _Part IV:_ "40 Ft" – Franz Ferdinand; "Don" – Miranda

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**Chapter 29: The shoes we are filling**

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The new me might be old news to you, but it's different than anything else that I've tried. And though I have tried everything I can think of and all I know, it is new to me that which to you is so old. And old is familiar, and old is a friend and old is without movement for memory does not change. Unchanged I remain, yet I am brand new to myself. Were I new to you too, I wish. Wishing inspires novelty that is really more of the same, but I am looking at things from a different perspective and so I exclaim that there is a new me for all the world to see, though your eyes are tired of gazing at me. And the shoes we are filling might be the worse for wear, rubber soles, stiletto heels and all. Yet, we will fake it, pretend we are clean – the gall! We will bury ourselves in new skin and claim we are reborn.

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She was causing something of a scene and boy did she love it! She could hear the whispers and catcalls, see the shamelessly staring faces and pointing fingers: was it any doubt that her smile widened?

It was no secret that she lived for the attention. One day, a sea of crazy paparazzi would make her day; for now, the future France Press photographer clicking away at his Nikon F3 while she took her time reaching her locker would have to do.

There was definitely a bounce in her step as Misao confidently walked down the hallway in her 4" heel suede boots, low rise jeans and slim-fitting white tube top. Of course, after what she had done that weekend, nothing but the utmost self-assurance would do in order for her to face Monday morning and her peers with a smug grin.

All eyes were on her, and though many would have caved under that kind of pressure, Misao gracefully strutted on, blowing kisses at her admirers from the chess club, the debate club, the swim team, the marching band and many others, including would be Peter Parker, who was still snapping photos of her while struggling to keep in step with the girl, who had the entire school parting before her like the Red Sea.

"So I thought to myself, 'mamma needs a new a pair of shoes', but then…"

Kaoru had been busy angrily shoving books into her locker when her best friend's voice reached her ears.

"Please tell me that's a wig," she said, as soon as she turned around and came face to face with a whole new Misao.

"Actually, it's semi-permanent." Taking a moment to think it over, the young girl decided to go for an addendum. "Well, my hair _will_ grow out and I bleached it first so… yeah, semi-permanent!"

"Why couldn't you just stick to the shoes?"

"Oh, it did start out that way. Aren't my new boots pretty?" she asked, lifting her right foot off the ground for good measure.

"Lovely," Kaoru answered dryly. "So, is there like, I don't know, a logical explanation for this, maybe?"

"Try psychological."

"As in 'you've-finally-come-to-terms-with-the-fact-that-you're-nuts' psychological?"

Misao snorted. "As in 'I'm-discovering-a-new-side-of-me' psychological."

"So… basically, you're just going through another one of your weird phases again. Huh."

Shouldering her backpack, Kaoru closed her locker and started walking down the hall, Misao hot on her heels.

"You hate it, don't you?" the future thespian inquired.

"I'll get used to it… I hope. At least it's not that bright!"

"You think it's too short."

"You know what? The haircut suits you; the color… scares me a little. But if anyone can pull it off…"

"YOU DYED YOUR HAIR PINK!"

Having made a quick stop at Misao's locker, both girls cringed at the loud scream that, in stating the obvious, managed to rise above the sounds of chitchatting students.

"Good morning to you too, Danielle," said Kaoru as their bewildered friend approached.

"It's a nose-length bob and it's PINK!"

"Don't forget the fringe," Misao added, ramming a notebook into her canvas bag. "It kind of makes me look like Natalie Portman in _Closer_."

"Pink is so over!" Danielle exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "This is why you left a teary, incomprehensible message on my cellphone Saturday afternoon, isn't it? You were afraid you wound up looking like Kelly Osbourne, weren't you?"

A strange look crossed Misao's face, though quick as lightning, it was gone. The sapphire-eyed teen took note of it, yet she chose to remain quiet and wait for a more appropriate time to bring it up. There was something odd about the girl calling up Danielle instead of her when she was bawling her eyes out; Kaoru was always her first choice in the realm if saviors.

Making their way for homeroom, the schoolgirl kept her mouth zipped shut while her two friends conversed rather animatedly about hair products and all things fashionable. It was kind of hard to believe that Misao had gone right on ahead and done something so drastic, not because she wasn't generally up for big changes, but rather because she usually sought Kaoru's counsel first, going right on ahead and getting on with the show despite the girl's opinion. It was just weird, not having been harassed over the phone about stuff like which salon was best and which outfit would do the new do justice.

As they reached the classroom's door, the threesome met up with Kaz, who was having a hard time figuring out why he had ever stopped crushing on the girl with short cotton candy hair.

"Why didn't you call to ask about my date?" Kaoru wondered aloud, interrupting the conversation that had been taking place between Misao and everyone else but her.

"You went out on a date?" Danielle inquired, unsure as to why the ever private girl would spill the beans without so much as a good-natured poke.

"Oh," the green-eyed imp blanched. "Well… I honestly didn't think you would want me to call."

Kaz nodded his head. "I second that motion. Kaoru hates it when you all meddle."

Danielle punched him in the arm. "Because you _don't?_"

"That's never stopped you before," Kaoru said, ignoring the bickering pair standing in the sidelines.

Misao shrugged, looking away uneasily. "I decided to respect your privacy for a change; shouldn't you be thrilled?"

"I would be," she conceded, her eyes unflinching, "except, I'm not buying it."

"You don't trust me; what else is new?"

The bell rang. Without another word, Misao slipped past her best friend and stepped into the classroom.

"Is she okay?" Danielle asked, looking to Kaoru for answers.

"I'm not sure."

"She sounded angry," Kaz commented, unused to the venom in the cheerful girl's voice.

"Personally, I would have to go with cold," the ebony-skinned student amended. "Did you two have a fight that we don't know about?"

"No."

"Maybe 'the new Misao' is a bit tougher than we're used to," the teenage boy in their midst suggested, placing a sympathetic hand on Kaoru's shoulder.

"Maybe," she answered, though uncertainty made her voice waver.

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"I haven't really noticed anything out of the ordinary."

"I hadn't either, but I'm seriously rethinking things."

"You said so yourself; she acted completely normal afterwards."

"Yes, but I know your cousin as well as I presume to know myself. Something is wrong."

"Don't you think you might be getting a little ahead of yourself?"

Strolling through the park hand in hand with Soujiro Seta, Kaoru bit her bottom lip, concern for her best friend making it impossible for her to fully enjoy the moment.

"Maybe I am," she admitted, "maybe the pink hair confused me and I'm blowing things out of proportion."

"…But?" he asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"But what if I'm not mistaken and she really _is_ going through something that she won't let me in on?"

A cold breeze rattled the tree branches directly above the couple's heads as they reached an ice-cream vendor.

"She's a big girl, Kaoru," Soujiro said, offering her one of his blinding smiles. "If she's in trouble and doesn't want to tell you, then she must have her reasons."

"I guess…" she grudgingly conceded. "I just hope she knows that she can come to me if she needs to."

"Two strawberry ice-cream cones, please," he politely requested, taking his wallet out of one of his jeans's back pockets. Kaoru sighed. "I'm boring you, aren't I?" she asked as Soujiro proceeded to pay for dessert.

"Not at all. My cousin means a lot to you and you're worried, so, if that's what you want to talk about, I'm here."

"Thanks," she said, relief washing over her as he handed her one of the ice-cream cones.

For a while, they continued on in amicable silence, each savoring their frosty treat. Lost in thought, Kaoru absently found herself gravitating towards a park bench by the pond. Soon enough, they were both sitting on it, looking at a swan glide across the waters.

"E.B. White was one of my favorite authors when I was little," she voiced without taking her eyes off the graceful bird.

"That was random."

The young girl giggled, mindful not to drop her ice-cream cone to the ground. "When I saw that swan I remembered. The first book that made me cry was _Charlotte's Web_; the first book that I can think of that made me laugh out loud while reading it was _The trumpet of the swan_," she explained.

"Did you ever read _Mr. Popper's penguins_?" Soujiro asked, thinking back to a time when things had been much simpler. "It sure beats _Beans on the roof_."

"Anything beats _Beans on the roof_!"

"Ain't that the truth," he agreed. "I used to hole myself up at the school library, devouring book after book after book, and I don't think I ever came across a story that I liked less."

"You were a bookworm?" she inquired, turning in her seat to get a good look at the boy.

Soujiro shrugged. "I still am," he easily replied between licks of strawberry ice-cream, "and, as I recall, you were one too."

"Be careful using the past tense there," she warned. "Some people might be forced to set you straight."

"Namely anyone who has ever met you," Soujiro asserted, causing his companion to grin at him like she hadn't been able to all throughout the course of dinner on Friday night; then, she had been incomprehensibly tense and distant. "You're smiling at me again," he said. "I was beginning to think that wasn't going to be a regular occurrence."

At his words, all mirth slowly faded from the schoolgirl's eyes. Lowering her lids, Kaoru considered the hidden meaning behind her companion's comment. She would have been a fool not to see that he had been referring to the awkwardness that had marked their dinner date.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," the boy stated at length.

The teenage girl sighed, gently shaking her head. "You want to know why I acted the way I did at dinner." At Soujiro's nod of confirmation, Kaoru realized she had no choice but to be as frank as she knew how. "I wouldn't even know where to begin," she murmured.

Gazing at the shimmering trees reflected on the pond's silvery surface, Soujiro bit into the wafer cone in his hand. "You were thinking of him," he said when he was done chewing.

Suddenly lacking an appetite, Kaoru stood up and walked over to the nearest trash bin, throwing away what was left of her own dessert. Looking off to the side as she wiped her hands on her jeans, her heart sank as she caught sight of the place where she and Kenshin had shared a very interesting conversation what felt like ages ago.

"_I guess, what I keep asking myself is… will we ever love as much?"_

A large yellowed leaf flittered to the ground in front of the raven-haired teen, her ponytail minutely swishing from side to side in the breeze.

"_Come one, take me home Batman."_

Taking a deep breath, she stuffed her fists in her pockets and tilted her head skyward. Peeking through gaps in the tree canopy, the vibrant sun harshly stared down at her, making a pair of dark green spots dance across her vision once she turned away.

A few strides later, she was back by Soujiro's side, who had kept himself busy by throwing pebbles into the rippling pool of water.

"Walk me home, Sou," she said, offering him her outstretched hand. Lacing their fingers together, Misao's cousin gently pulled the young girl against him. "…Or not," she added, a blush staining her cheeks.

Soujiro drank her in. "Only if you smile first."

"_I think that's the first time that someone complains about my smiling."_

Plastering a halfhearted grin on her face, Kaoru did as she was told and, palm to palm, they strode away. Where there was gray in her life, she was determined to slap on a fresh coat of pink paint.

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In an ideal world, Kaoru would have been allowed to stay in watching TV while mentally going through the first part of her day, editing the sad parts. Unfortunately, her parents refused to let her become chief-editor of her own existence, sending her on an errand instead. Thus she found herself staring at a stuffed lion's teeth in quiet fascination, wondering at how such a menacing beast could not get as much as a frisson out of her, despite its being perpetually frozen in attack mode.

Stalking around the display, the blue-eyed girl concluded that nothing short of a safari in Africa would make her fear for her life, let alone cringe. Natural history museums simply did not pack quite the punch. The fact that a giant elephant pointing its ivory tusks at her chest only made her blink owlishly drove her point home.

Exiting the mammal exhibit on the building's first floor, Kaoru looked down at her watch and groaned. She still had to wait another fifteen minutes before she could meet up with one of her mother's clients in the museum's vivarium and hand over a stack of photographs that, in her opinion, should have been delivered by mail or sent via gmail – if, indeed, Mrs. Kamiya ever chose to embrace the digital age and its new technologies. The schoolgirl hated acting as office boy for either of her parents, but sometimes it just could not be helped.

Kaoru trudged up the helical glass staircase leading to the second floor and, seeing as she had no idea what else she could do to pass the time, once at the top she ducked into the nearest gallery. Upon taking her first steps into the dark exhibit area, bathed in but a pale bluish light, the teen gasped. She was all alone, no noise echoing through the gallery's vast space – save for the sound of her hesitant footsteps –, several impressively large whale skeletons hanging from the ceiling. The bones appeared to be so white in contrast to the ill-lighted room that, combined with the lack of museum goers, the place made for certain spookiness. And the shadows bouncing off the walls… now _those_ were just plain creepy.

Backtracking, Kaoru decided she was not going to stick around and find out if the whale exhibit was horror-movie-scenario worthy. When her body collided with something solid she squealed and quickly spun on her heel, a security guard peering down at her with a bored expression on his face as she made a run for it. Rushing down the stairs, two steps at a time, only the glass balustrade kept her from certain death.

It was as soon as she dashed into the central hall, after, yet again, passing by the mammal exhibit, that she finally allowed herself to slow down and catch her breath. The familiar sight of a group of sixth-graders nearly knocking over a case containing an ishango and other weird artifacts made her feel at ease and, suddenly, quite silly. Had she really been that frightened of a couple of whale skeletons? Had the seemingly harmless and uninteresting Natural History Museum actually struck back?

Absently staring at the throngs of visitors walking this way and that, Kaoru shrugged off her backpack, holding it by its thick straps. As far as she was concerned, that manila envelope containing photos of a taxidermist's finest work was getting delivered ASAP. The sooner she was able to go home and dwell on her torturous thoughts, the better. Quite frankly, she would much rather brood than get the bejeezus scared out of her courtesy of kooky museologists and the strange manner in which they opted to showcase collections.

Unzipping the bag, she bent forward and rummaged through it, seeking out her ticket to freedom. Unable to find the much sought after prize, Kaoru cradled her backpack against her chest with one arm, digging through it with the other while remaining oblivious to the chaos going on in the background. Sure, she heard a few shouts and registered a couple of sounds that indicated something had been broken, but when her mind was elsewhere, she simply could not be troubled to pay attention.

Suddenly knocked forward by a pair of fugitives in private school uniforms, the real world _demanded _Kaoru's attention in a not so subtle way, heedless to her desires of staying out of the loop as to the events taking place. And, just because someone up there has nothing if not a sense of humor, once she fell forward, the envelope she had been looking for – along with a few other things – flew straight out of her backpack and landed at the feet of the last person she would have thought to encounter on that very day.

"Kenshin?"

Had they been characters in a movie, Kaoru Kamiya and Kenshin Himura would have had a _Shopgirl_ moment involving subtle glances and gestures, which was basically the usual order of cheeseburger and fries for the pair. In a sense – probably due to past experience – Kaoru was expecting as much, which is why she refused to get up or take her eyes off his shoes.

However, as soon as he crouched down to pick up the envelope sitting pretty in front of his Birkenstocks, the teenager sprung into action and quickly scrambled to her feet – no way was she going to let him help her stand up when she was perfectly capable of doing so herself! Panting ever so slightly, she tightly clutched her backpack against her chest, as if for dear life. Things were about to get awkward, weren't they?

"Drop this?" Kenshin asked in so innocent a tone that Kaoru had no choice but to narrow her eyes at him and wish _he_ would drop dead right there and then.

"Thanks," she replied, snatching the reason she was in the museum to begin with from his grasp.

Honest to God, she would have sworn that he was going to comment on her rudeness or do something else equally stupid, but all it took was a split second of him getting distracted and looking off to his left before his hand went round her wrist and, out of the blue, she was getting dragged through the crowd, the infamous mammal exhibit drawing ever closer.

Kaoru tried to ask questions as they sped by rhinoceroses, leopards and elephants alike, she really did, but, apparently, her captor would have none of it. Later on, she would wonder why she didn't just hit the brakes and make Kenshin release his hold on her – after all, that would have been the logical thing to do. Then again, there was nothing logical about her involvement with the redhead.

As they took to the stairs, the blue-eyed girl concluded that she had been doing a whole lot of running around in museums lately, something that she herself would have frowned upon had she been in someone else's shoes. The good news was that she was the proud owner of a pair of checkerboard slip-ons, as opposed to the clunky mules worn by the lady at the top of the staircase that had given them the finger when Kaoru accidentally bumped into her.

"Not the whales! Anywhere but the whales!" the teen cried once she realized just exactly where they were headed.

"What?" Kenshin asked without missing a step.

"I refuse to go into the next gallery, alright?" Kaoru groused. "Dead whales are creepy!"

Shaking his head, Kenshin rapidly spun them around in the opposite direction. Making out a white door next to a fire extinguisher close to a group of Japanese tourists – weren't they at the wrong museum? – he picked up the pace. In the blink of an eye, Kaoru was thrust into darkness that swiftly disappeared as a light bulb dangling above her head illuminated what appeared to be – seriously? – a broom closet.

The young girl took a couple of deep breaths. "Kenshin, we're in a broom closet," she stated crisply.

"Yeah…" he responded absently, forehead pressed against the closed door.

"Kenshin," she insisted in between pants, "_why_ are we in a broom closet?"

"Oh. That." Slowly, he turned around and offered her a sheepish grin, his chest heaving. "We're hiding."

Eyebrows raised and eyes as wide as saucers, it was plain to see that Kaoru had been completely taken off guard. "Hiding? From who?"

The undergrad scowled. "Let's just say it's all Sano's fault," he answered, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand.

"A boy and a girl barricade themselves in a closet and Sano's behind it…" Kaoru began, index finger tapping away at her chin. "You make it sound as if he were your friendly neighborhood Cupid."

Chuckling, Kenshin became aware of just how much he had missed her and her odd sense of humor. His mirth, though, was shortlived. For such a frail looking girl, Kaoru sure packed quite the punch!

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his abused arm.

"I'm in a broom closet!" she exclaimed, eyes glinting angrily, nostrils flared. "This is the last place in the whole of the museum I counted on visiting today!"

"It's not like I planned for this to happen, you know."

"How would I know? One minute I'm downstairs, minding my own business, and now I'm here, with you and, as if things couldn't possibly get any weirder, I'm hiding, but I don't know why!"

"We could have been surrounded by whales and other people right about now if you hadn't panicked," the architect major pointed out. He received another punch to the arm for his trouble.

"Sure! Because Moby Dick hanging from the ceiling would have made us invisible, am I right?"

Frustration did not suit Kenshin, but it was one of the side effects of hanging around with Kaoru in a confined space while she was being kept on a need to know basis. With a sigh, he leaned forward and invaded the schoolgirl's personal space, his warm breath fanning her face.

"Wait! Wait!" she shrieked, batting his hands away. "What on earth are you doing?"

Silent and undeterred Kenshin went ahead with his self-appointed mission, regardless of her protests. The fact that she kept slapping him away would not stop him, though it certainly did not make his task any easier.

"I'm warning you, I bite!" Kaoru, once again, deflected his advances in a move faintly reminiscent of the lost art of mosquito-swatting. "Kenshin cut it out!"

He shook his head and smiled wryly. "Me thinks the lady doth protest too much."

"Seriously," she began, the butterflies fluttering around in the pit of her stomach giving her something to think about. What was it about a boy quoting Shakespeare, no matter the circumstances? "What _are_ you doing?"

And, just like that, she went still. At first, he had been planning on going for the kill as soon as he found an opening, but once she stopped fighting him, he found himself dragging out the moment. Kenshin hadn't really thought to do things in such a manner, but he allowed himself to be selfish, to enjoy the subtlest brush of his arm against the skin of her cheek as he reached behind her head and pulled out the scrunchie holding her ponytail in place.

"Letting your hair down," he whispered, his fingers threading themselves through inky strands of midnight skies that swirled free about her shoulders.

Kaoru's mouth went dry. "Why?" she managed to croak out, her eyes permanently glued on the hand that slowly retreated, that inched ever closer to breaking the spell that was, for the duration of a sigh, making things right again within the bubble that Kaoru Kamiya and Kenshin Himura occasionally ensconced themselves in. When no one was watching. When rationale was old news and little else.

Then, too fast too catch, his arm was, yet again, a dead weight against his side. The bubble burst, fading from sight in less than a heartbeat. The world went topsy-turvy once more and whatever unresolved issues the pair had, they sprung back to life right before their very eyes.

"Because," the redhead explained, forcing himself to forget how good it had felt to be remotely _close_ to his broom closet companion, "if someone saw us come in here, wouldn't it look suspicious if we walk out without looking the least bit… disheveled?"

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Why don't you give me a hickey while you're at it?"

"Don't tempt me," he muttered under his breath, giving the closed door a sidelong glance.

The schoolgirl gathered that his words had not been intended for her ears, but she couldn't stop herself from blushing. Being outraged was also at the top of her list. Being trapped in a tiny room with someone that made her insides twist themselves into knots, however, made her opt for the least probable course of action: she would keep her mouth shut and ignore the comment that was doing something to her that she just _knew_ she didn't want to dwell on.

"What about _your_ hair?" she asked, in lieu of… well, whatever reaction his remark would have warranted under normal circumstances.

"What about it?"

"Don't you have to look 'disheveled' too, or is it only the girl that's supposed to look the worse for wear after having rabid monkey sex in a museum's broom closet?"

"Monkey sex?"

"Fine," she conceded, "panda sex, seeing as if we leave right now people will assume that what went on in here was the most unfulfilling and shortlived sexual experience known to man. Which, in a way, it is."

Kenshin chortled. "So what you're saying is that you would be more satisfied with the entire situation if I took advantage of the moment and felt you up?"

"Maybe…"

If there was any truth to body language, then the undergrad was in paradise. If there was subtext to be found in the intonation used when voicing thoughts and ideas, then he was living a dream.

Kaoru could not have insinuated what he thought she had, could she? But, there she was, chewing on her bottom lip, twirling a strand of her long silky hair round her finger, her wide blue eyes boring into his own…

"Get your mind out of the gutter and your feet out the door, _Kenny_."

There was a petulant smirk on her face as she breezed past him and stepped out of their impromptu hideout. The girl had one-upped him and boy was it a shame. After all, there was only so much self-restraint a man could muster before temptation got the best of him.

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"Is it just me or did your car just…squawk?"

"Sadly, your ears are working just fine."

"Huh." Kaoru cocked her head to the side. "You do realize that automobiles in general don't sound like birds, right?"

"I'm aware of that."

"Sano's fault?"

"Smart girl."

After staring at the jeep in utter silence for about two minutes – punctuated by several squawks and a loud thump – Kaoru folded her arms over her chest and awaited an explanation.

"Do I have to ask?" she voiced lazily in view of Kenshin's tightlipped attitude.

He sighed and hung his head low. "I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"As long as there are no Gremlins or hens that lay golden eggs involved, it can't possibly be that bad."

"There's a parrot in my jeep."

Had it been nightfall, crickets would have been heard chirping in the stillness that ensued. Of course, the occasional ruffling of feathers would have probably done away with the dramatic effect caused by the insect's sunset serenade.

"I bet that's something you never thought you'd hear yourself say," Kaoru spoke at length, her eyes never once straying from the vehicle parked a block away from the museum, next to a foul smelling dumpster.

"Then it's a good thing you don't gamble."

"Come again?"

Kenshin smiled ruefully. "Sano's my friend. Anything can happen."

The car alarm beeped, breaking the schoolgirl out of her stupor. Kenshin had a parrot on his hands, he had been forced to hide his favored mode of transport away from public eyes and yet she got the distinct impression that he wasn't feeling all that miserable about it. Was there a new man in town or was she loosing it and hearing oldies playing in the background again?

"Doesn't that trouble you?

The redhead shrugged. "It's kind of funny, isn't it?" The schoolgirl put on her best Daria Morgendorfer face, leaving him with no choice, save to elaborate. "I know I'm not laughing right _now_, but in the future this whole thing will have become one of those silly anecdotes that you tell people just to make them smile."

"And since you're ever the crowd pleaser…"

The college student blanked out her negativity and instead reached for the door handle. "Ladies first," he said, bowing as he opened the car door in true Jeeves fashion.

Kaoru smiled, then screamed; Kenshin was sweet and all, but getting attacked by a giant scarlet macaw was a definite mood killer. So it was a good thing that the undergrad had quick reflexes and shut the door before the bird managed to fly straight at his intended target and claw the living daylights out of her.

"There's a parrot in there!" she shrieked, pointing a finger in the general direction of the jeep's passenger seat.

"I think we already covered that," stated Kenshin, his fist under his chin.

Despite the car owner's cool and calm approach to the entire situation, Kaoru wasn't exactly done with being hysterical yet.

"A parrot tried to kill me!"

"Confined spaces probably make it hostile," he pondered.

"It went 'splat' against the window!"

Kenshin nodded. "One can only hope the blow left it slightly disoriented."

The schoolgirl turned on him, fed up by his apparent indifference. "What are you, a freaking newscaster? Polly wanted me dead!"

"Actually, I'm trying to figure out how we're going to get it back inside its cage without using tranquilizing darts," he explained, shooting her something of a dirty look.

"_We_?" Kaoru threw her head back and laughed. "Are you nuts? I'm not going anywhere near that thing again!"

"I'm going to need help, Kaoru."

"Delusions _are_ for the birds…you _do_ know that, right?"

A slump of the shoulders, a sigh and suddenly Kenshin was sitting on the hood of his jeep and, as unobservant as usual, it was only then that she noticed the broken headlight for the first time. A couple of steps later, she was standing in front of him, still taking in the damned headlight that she hadn't bothered to lay eyes on before and the man who had this air about him that left no room for doubt: appearances being what they were, he was broken too, he just refused to let the whole world know about it.

"What are you doing?" she asked, nervously wringing her hands together.

"I'm thinking," he answered. "There's a parrot in my jeep and it's no longer in its cage; I need to think."

"I'll say."

Hopping onto the hood beside him, Kaoru gave Kenshin's shoulder a squeeze. One way or the other, the poor guy was always screwed, wasn't he? Not that he didn't have it coming, or anything…

"Got any ideas?" he asked, seeing as his own brain was running low on viable solutions to the current dilemma. "Seriously, I'll take what I can get."

Kaoru giggled. "We can always steal a tow truck," she suggested.

Kenshin shook his head and smiled. Their eyes met and, in that instant, Kaoru realized that he wasn't beyond repair. Whatever was eating away at him, things could still be fixed, just like the jeep's headlight. So long as he was occasionally sincere in his smiles, all was not lost.

"It's nice," she said, looking down at her feet.

"What is?"

"When you smile and mean it."

Astonishment was all he could muster, so she contented herself with blushing and keeping any other thoughts to herself. Too much of a good thing could quickly turn wine into water and, as far as she knew, God had intended it to be otherwise. In any case, she didn't want to overdo it and make Kenshin more uncomfortable than he could stand; making him run from her was not part of the plan. He just wasn't wearing the appropriate shoes for a mad dash – Birkenstocks had the word 'blisters' written all over them, as far as she was concerned.

"You see right through me, don't you?" he inquired, amazed at how perceptive a seventeen-year-old could be.

Kaoru shrugged. "Sometimes," she answered without looking him in the eye. "Sometimes I honestly don't know what to think."

"Then that makes two of us," he said, "because you are always a welcome surprise."

"I'm really not that unpredictable."

"Take it from me, there's nothing about you I could ever predict. And I have a parrot in the passenger seat, so it's not like many things actually throw me for a loop that often."

"And that's a good thing?"

His lips curved upwards into the very opposite of a frown. She just didn't know, did she? Hadn't anyone ever made her see how special she was? Had no one explained to her that a glass slipper was the perfect fit?

"That's a great thing."

"Some people aren't big fans of surprises," she argued, not being one to take a compliment gracefully.

"That's because some people get stuck with babysitting parrots as opposed to being found out by the likes of you," he defended.

"As if being found out was fun…"

Kenshin sighed. Why was it that she refused to understand that she wasn't like everyone else? People weren't kind, friendly, charming _and _sincere. There was always a tollbooth somewhere down the line and if you didn't have any spare change, you could kiss that road trip goodbye. And yet, Kaoru gave of herself without handing over a receipt. She took care of the bill and made fools out of men like himself, who believed there was nothing out there except greed. She was too good to be true, but she wasn't about to take his word for it. And it was a shame.

"There are worse things in life," he insisted, knowing all the while that his efforts would be in vain.

"Such as?" she inquired, emotional barriers firmly in place.

"There's a parrot in there," he said, pointing behind himself, "so what more can I say?"

And, in all fairness, Kenshin had a point. What more _was_ there to say? They were characters in a play, performing roles that forsook reality for a good cause, namely keeping things civil. The elephant in the room did not shy away into a corner – there simply was no space and it was much too large to be moving around as apposed to stuck inside four walls – but the owners were ever so close to teaching it new tricks that all it would take was a couple of peanut flavored Slim-Fasts for delusion to set in. As if pink elephants would loose weight by slurping on a couple of milkshakes…

A good old fashioned one-on-one was in order, but they, for the time being, seemed unwilling to actually talk, instead chitchatting themselves into sharp corners. Passive-aggression was on the menu and the only thing short of a good clean argument that would set the records straight once and for all would have to be shoe swapping. Only a walk in the other's shoes would be able to tell whose feet were the worse for wear. Too bad that Kenshin and Kaoru stood on foot-shaped templates rather far apart and simply refused to yield any ground.

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**Next update: **more K&K&Polly fun! Hahahah 


	30. Intermezzo

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY:_ Ibidem.

**Songs to listen to while reading, in this particular order: **"Hide & Seek" by Imogen Heap / "Third Planet" by Modest Mouse / "Disappointed" by The Frames

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**Variations on a recurring theme – Intermezzo **

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We are all starved for affection, though few refuse to admit it. All we want is something to hold on to, something to push away. A place to call home, a place to leave behind. We claim to have no regrets – they're useless after all – but, if so, then why are we so tempted to apologize for our mistakes? Come to think of it, why _don't_ we? Maybe because we enjoy making them in the first place. Or maybe, because being at fault is what makes us imperfect. It is what makes us human and beautiful. It is what makes us so silently sorry.

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Sorry #1**

Say you're sorry. Except you can't, you're not equipped to. And if you don't have it in you, then that just means you don't know how to feel bad about anything, that there is no guilt strong enough to plague you. You're invincible because you can break everyone around you without falling apart. It's a jungle out there and it's survival of the fittest so, of course, you'll win, you'll live, you'll thrive. While boxes labeled "fragile" tip over, their contents shattering beyond repair, sturdy and unapologetic, you will remain and there will be no regrets. No "sorry" will escape your lips and you'll be fine with that. But, you'll wonder – inadequate as you are – why everyone else can do and feel something you can't even begin to touch. Why, unbreakable as you are, you are no better than the rest of them. Why you're imperfect too. There are no paladins of justice, only guide dogs leading the blind.

**Kenshin #1**

What am I if not a horrible person? I screw up once and I keep on doing it for the rest of my life. And I don't regret it. Except I do, but only because I seem incapable of feeling appropriately guilty. Or maybe that's a lie I tell myself. It wouldn't come as a surprise, since I feed myself lies for breakfast. I pretend nothing can get to me anymore as I drive spoonfuls of soggy cereal to my mouth, day after day after day. But she gets to me and I can't be bothered. Because that's just who I am. I am a horrible person.

Her face falls and I stare at her, I drink her in. I'm hurting her but I can't look away. I know why, but I would rather not think about it, not give her any power over me. Remorse is painful, so it is best not to leave oneself wide open for a letdown. It is better to be a horrible person.

And, as for me? I'm as selfish as they come. And I don't care because I can't afford weakness. I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime. So, as she walks away, I hate myself. Then again, that's nothing new, now, is it? I live with my eyes closed, the truth constantly eluding me as I run from it with my tail between my legs.

**Kaoru #1**

He doesn't look the least bit apologetic, does he? It's obvious he doesn't feel sorry and it makes me so mad that his indifference actually managed to wound me. Because none of this makes any sense. Why do I have to be so weak? Why on earth am I made of spun glass right about now? I want to cry.

He doesn't make a move, he doesn't say any of the things I want to hear. I know he doesn't owe me anything, but would it kill him to show some sympathy? Come to think of it, yeah, he would probably keel over and die, the heartless redhead that I just can't seem to hate – I have to start trying harder because I'm sure I'll get there some day.

He just doesn't know what it is like, does he? To wear your heart on your sleeve and have it snatched away before you can so much as breathe. He is, sadly enough, my first love – as luck would have it, it's of the unrequited type – and he can't even be nice about it. He can't be that big of an idiot to not see… can he? There goes my Pandora complex again, getting the best of me. I should go before she puts her two cents in. At least I'll still have my dignity. If only he would say something…

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**Sorry #2**

You want to say you're sorry, but the words refuse to come out. From your lips you draw all kinds of words, but none obey your heart. You feel regret, yet it is not rooted so deep that apologies are forthcoming. It feels lousy to rain on someone else's parade, but guilt is a passerby looking in. Seconds tick away and the intruder quickly takes his leave. You're just not sorry enough, are you?

**Kenshin #2**

When I crashed the car, I felt bad about it. I didn't apologize, but I knew it was wrong. When I smoked my first cigarette, I instantly regretted it, the word "cancer" coming to mind as soon as I started coughing. That didn't stop me from lighting another one and so on and so forth, until smoking became a pleasurable habit.

When I got drunk for the first time it felt great. A hangover, however, made me realize that the consequences were clearly not worth it. At the next party, I chugged down as many beers as I could get my hands on, played strip poker and wound up with a girlfriend whose name was as much of a mystery to me as the reason why I was so intent on getting cirrhosis. Because the parties never seemed to end and I was a firm believer in the culture of refills.

When I took my first hit, I blamed peer pressure and also, I'll admit, a part of me. I wondered what my parents would have thought of me and my heart did a funny little flip that, as time went by, I learned how to ignore. I would roll up a joint without a hint of regret. I would snort some coke and hate myself a little more. But going numb, stepping outside of my own consciousness and the basest of needs always won out. The craving always spoke louder and I was just as sorry as I was past caring.

I did a lot of things I'm ashamed of, some of which I'm sure are unforgivable. And every time I fucked up I did so without thinking about anyone else but me. I made mistakes knowingly and I felt bad, but not nearly as bad as I should have. I was an unapologetic jerk determined to throw my life away and, in some ways, I still am.

I thought that what happened with Akira would break the cycle, would put me on the right track. I ended up falling in love with his girlfriend instead. It gets worse: she fell in love with me and I let her stay by me. Granted, I eventually let her leave me without so much as putting up a fight, but she shouldn't have stuck around in the first place. I was selfish and hurt her in the process. And I'm not done being a callous bastard, because there are lessons that I'm unwilling to learn. I'm the kid sitting in the back of the classroom, sticking gum in someone's hair, doodling in a notebook with my headphones on, doing anything but pay attention to the teacher. I simply can't be bothered and it's damn clear that I'm going to fail the upcoming finals.

But the way she looks at me is irresistible and the fact that she has no idea what she's getting herself into makes whatever it is that's going on between us all the more intense. I'm determined to change so I push her away. It's for the best, really. She's relentless, though and, as she walks away, I remain unmoved. I don't have it in me to care anymore and she has decided. So that's the end of that. She won't lift a finger because the ball's in my court now. And I shouldn't play. The problem is that I know my own nature, I know what lies beneath; start peeling an onion and you will have to come to terms with the fact that, aside from the first two layers, there are no more surprises. I'll dribble, aim for the hoop and hope against hope that it goes in the net. It's in my nature to chase after her and, though I should, I don't feel all that sorry. I can't keep fighting anymore.

**Kaoru #2**

There's a touch of regret in his eyes with every word he speaks, the ones that are digging him into an even deeper grave. I shouldn't care. It shouldn't matter because my feelings obviously don't matter to him, not as I want them to. But I'm a fool and I latch onto his pity like a lifeline. It brings me a small sense of comfort to know that some part of him feels uncomfortable, that I can at the very least get a rise out of him.

And since it's so undignified and so immature on my part, I have to put an end to it, don't I? If only he would say the right thing…

* * *

**Sorry #3**

Why should you apologize? You didn't do anything wrong, you're not at fault, so why should you feel sorry? Because pride punishes humility by relegating it to a sitting position at one of the room's corners, a "dunce" cap on its head. Angry words, angry thoughts, but not a hint of an "I'm sorry" in sight. You're the victim and you don't back down. Denial is thy name. It all went wrong, it all fell apart and, maybe giving in could be a start. But, on your tongue, "sorry" is soundproof. Silence drives wedges between continents and condemns refugees on flotation devices to death by sea. Lonely TV dinners await stubborn minds; after all, they think alike.

**Kenshin #3**

Pitying myself won't get me very far. I didn't ask her to look at me like that. I didn't ask for her to breeze into my life and make things more exciting! I didn't ask for the kind of hope she offers without question! It's her own fault if she thought something could come of this! It's her own fault if she even considered that I'm someone I'm not. Why should I feel sorry? Doesn't she understand that I'm doing her a favor by keeping her at a distance? I should be the one upset; after all, I'm the one making all the sacrifices here!

She walks away and I'm aware that pitying myself won't get me very far. And all I want is to be walking beside her, holding her hand, making sure she knows that she's very much the boss of me – I'm no better than Sano or any man once they've met their match. The more I think about it, it becomes clearer: she's the one for me. Only I can't tell her that. And I refuse to feel sorry for it; I'll simply feel sorry for myself instead.

**Kaoru #3**

The nerve of that man! Of all the… Silence? All I get is silence? All I get is halfhearted excuses??? If he keeps this up, he's going to wind up a lonely old man, and it would serve him right too! Why should I be the one to beg for crumbs when there's someone else right around the corner more than willing to sweep me off my feet? I'm done with this! I swear I'm through with Kenshin Himura and his mixed signals! I've had it up to here!!! I have my pride and I don't have low self-esteem, not really. Damn it, I deserve way better than this! I'm sick of hearing the same tired excuses over and over again. Because I do not deserve to be treated this way. Because I care too much. Because I know that when he looks at me I loose my nerve and become putty in his hands. I am not freaking dough for him to knead! If he thinks he's got me eating off the palm of his hand, then he's got another thing coming! Let him stay holed up in himself, the selfish twit! Except…what he did for _her_ was far from self-seeking, wasn't it? It's always about the one that got away, am I right? And for all that, there's nothing he can really say, is there? There's nothing either one of us can do. It's a stalemate, folks… yet again. Fine, let him keep his mouth shut for all I care! Who needs him to say anything anyway?

* * *

**Sorry #4**

Technically, there is no argument. Technically, there is no fight. Technically, there is nothing serious at stake. Being sorry is, in some cases, that which hangs by a thread. On occasion, mere technicalities are not worth being voiced aloud.

**Kenshin #4**

We're not really friends, are we? Kaoru and I are acquaintances. We haven't known each other that long. There is nothing in this world that makes our presence in each others lives truly special. Except for when she smiles at me and makes me feel like I'm the center of her universe. But that's not really logic talking, is it?

I don't understand why she gets so upset; it's not like I've wronged her or betrayed her trust. If she were mine, I would find her reaction rational, but she's not. So why do I feel like if I say I'm sorry she will stop walking away?

**Kaoru #4**

I'm the self-proclaimed Queen of the Idiots. Whenever I catch myself hoping, I know that I'm only daydreaming. Reality is not fiction, it's not my imagination running wild. There was never anything between us, there could never be and he's made that more than clear time and again. There simply isn't anything for him to say…

* * *

**Sorry #5**

When no one is to blame and no harm is meant, there simply is no need for an "I'm sorry". And yet, it is in those moments that such a word is the best remedy for depressed ears. Sadly, as unnecessary as an apology can prove to be, it remains, thus, unspoken.

**Kenshin #5**

I think about saying it. I don't really know what it will solve, but I'm sorely tempted. Then the moment is gone and she's walking away. For what it's worth Kaoru, I am sorry…

**Kaoru #5**

You're right. Let me leave and keep your words to yourself. It's better this way. Please don't say anything at all.

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**00000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--00000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--0000--00000--0000--0000

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**

The ballad of Kaoru and Kenshin: a series of misunderstandings and loose ends. It all started with a parrot, but it certainly didn't end with a squawk or a bang. It's as T.S. Elliot, said: if anything, in the end there was no sound, save for a whimper. Of course, there are miles to go before any story can be put to bed – that's Robert Frost talking, by the way – and sorry doesn't actually count until someone says it out loud.

The time to rewind the tape draws near. Fine dell'intermezzo.


	31. Like a game of cat and mouse

_STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: _I would be a millionaire. I would be off in Tahiti working on my tan while sipping daiquiris and tequila sunrises. I wouldn't be so worried about the future – minus Al Gore's global warming thing. If I owned RK, my life would truly be different, huh?

**Quick little message from author: **I handed in my thesis and my graduation ceremony is in March: I can't wait to throw that cap into the sky and be one hundred percent sure it's all over! You may find yourselves wondering what that has to do with anything and the only thing I can come up with to justify my rambling is that Senior Year was the main reason as to why my updates have gotten fewer and farther in between. I wish every single one of you tons of luck in coping with the scary yet equally thrilling prospect of a new year. Thank you for sticking by me for so long and I hope you all enjoy this chapter that I actually view as the ending of a three-part story. Thing are about to get much more interesting after this. Working on the installment while handing in stories at the newspaper and writing my thesis was challenging, but I'm rather happy with the results. I hope you will be too.

**Soundtrack: **_Part I:_ "Sing, sing, sing" – Benny Goodman / _Part II: _"Porque te vas" – Pato Fu / _Part III:_ "Where have all the flowers gone?" – Marlene Dietrich / _Part IV:_ "La Cumparsita" – Ernesto Franco y su orquesta; "Happy together" – The Turtles / _Part V:_ "And darling" – Tegan and Sara / _Part VI:_ "Can you see the lights?" – Butterfly Boucher; "It ain't me babe" – Bob Dylan; "Cupid's chokehold" – Gym Class Heroes / _Part VII:_ "Paper bag" – Fiona Apple; "Fidelity" – Regina Spektor.

**

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**Chapter 30: Like a game of cat and mouse**

* * *

Once upon a time, a young maid of fair countenance and a dashing young man with reserve in his glance stood side-by-side 'fore a four-wheeled vehicle. Within the confines of said automobile, an exotic warm-blooded vertebrate of tropical origin hitherto batted its wings, causing the pair much affliction. 

Having freed itself from its cage, yet still entrapped in a place far removed from its natural habitat, the scarlet creature reacted as only one who has been domesticated without having altogether severed its ties with inner wildness could. Disoriented, it took rather unkindly to the two humans outside the metal box, instinct prompting the animal to attack on the few occasions whence the door was opened, all attempts to calm it rendered futile.

Hence, much speculating took place between man and woman, both unsure as to what the appropriate course of action ought to be in order to resolve such a crisis:

"How about we smoke it out?"

"We want to lure it back inside its cage Kaoru, not burn down my jeep."

The girl referred to as Kaoru frowned and remained silent for a while before perking up anew. "What if we scare it deaf with really loud music?"

The man at her side was hard pressed not to roll his eyes. "It's a parrot, not a dog," said he, rendering her suggestion useless by disassociating bird from mammal, a thought whose phrasing had not been quite necessary. "Besides, unless you happen to have a boom box with you, it won't do; the radio, as you very well know, is _inside_ my car."

"I'm guessing pepper spray is out of the question, then?" she dryly ascertained.

"Blinding it sounds like a start, but that would only make it lash out every time we grow near."

"In other words," she began, drawing away from the window that the scarlet macaw was busily pecking at, "we're the enemy and the only way that stupid bird is going to cooperate is if we gain its trust?"

Kenshin's upstairs department at once became illuminated in such a way that savants would have been more than slightly jealous. Ideas began taking shape and, had he not been so fixed upon observing the parrot inside his car and a sucker for propriety, he would have rewarded Kaoru's serendipitous brilliance with a kiss: her zany brainstorming session had lead to the possible discovery of a viable solution at long last!

"I hadn't really thought about it that way," the violet-eyed man commented, "but if it's bird psychology that is going to get us out of this, then I think I've come up with the perfect solution."

Kaoru blinked owlishly, in a seemingly unladylike fashion. "Which is...?"

The young man offered her something of a mischievous smirk. "In the movies, Polly always wants a cracker, right?"

Slowly comprehension dawned on the maiden and she could not help but smile in affected a manner at the irony of the situation that was currently theirs. The reason for their present troubles bore the name of one Sagara Sanosuke and, was it not odd that, were he to have been around, he would have probably come up with the very idea in her companion's mind faster than they themselves had contrived?

"The way to a parrot's heart is through its stomach, that it?" she inquired rhetorically. "I guess that when it comes to braving the wild, being Sano's friend or a Nirvana fan beats joining the boy scouts…"

Thus, an elaborate plan was devised, involving courage, a cereal bar and a can of maze.

"What?" Kaoru asked, confused by her partner's surprise on account of the latter's retrieval from her backpack. "My dad's into the whole 'unagi' deal," she admitted with a careless shrug.

Bravely taking their positions on either side of the jeep, the twosome set out to fulfill the toilsome task of coaxing the frightened creature into its cage once more. 'Twas no easy feat – Herculean in character, some would say – but, twe'en the food dangling from Kaoru's fingers, the temporarily blinding substance firmly gripped by her other hand and Kenshin's quick reflexes, the bird was unable to put up much of a fight.

A few scratches later, an irritated maiden found herself plucking feathers from her hair and ready to voice her lamentations. However, she never quite got the chance to express her distress for, as she opened her mouth, something of a battle cry sounded out behind her and she was soon unceremoniously pushed into the jeep's passenger seat.

"We've been spotted," claimed Kenshin, hurriedly climbing into the driver's seat and setting the vehicle in motion.

"By whom?" cried Kaoru, fastening her seatbelt whilst attempting to catch a glimpse of the band of men running in their direction through the rearview mirror. "Those guys each look a kilt away from being extras in _Braveheart._ I presume they're the ones we were hiding from?"

Kenshin winced as, swiftly backing out of the parking space, the Grand Vitara's tires screeched. "Yes, well, they have every right to be angry. Their mascot was stolen."

"Their mascot is a parrot? Who do they take themselves for, pirates?"

"Actually, the football team _is _called–"

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Spare me. I just _can't wait_ for the day that football players will rule the world!"

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§

* * *

"Brwaack!" 

"It won't stop cursing!"

"I can see that."

Kaoru pouted, chancing yet another glance at the backseat. "Why am I not surprised that the only thing it knows how to do is curse?"

"Was that a rhetorical question?"

Currently engaged in a high-speed car chase, our tale's hero and heroine found themselves in a bit of a predicament. Unfortunately, their winged travel companion was behaving in a manner far from proper and polite, and albeit Kaoru had latterly taken to thinking of strangling it, her conjectures were not intently carried out.

"It should come with a mute button!" she cried. "Shut up, bird!"

"Fag! Brwaack!"

The maiden grinned triumphantly. "It doesn't work on a girl!" she informed their beaked tormentor, sticking out her tongue, a puerile mood swing striking her fancy.

"Whore! Brwaack!"

Her girlish sensibilities immediately got the better of her and she turned to her copilot for assistance. "Did you just..?" Shock prevented her from further elaboration. "Kenshin, do something!"

Gritting his teeth, her human companion turned the steering wheel fully to the left. "I'm kind of busy right now, Kaoru," he stated, a trifle edgily.

She gaped. "It just insulted me!"

"And I promise that as soon as we don't have an entire football team on our tail, I'll look into it," Kenshin vowed, turning another sharp corner.

"Fine! I'll defend my honor myself!" Miffed, the lovely Kaoru ignored the most troubling aspect of their car ride, instead intent on putting the evil animal in its place. "Listen here, you stupid parrot–"

"Fuck off, bitch! Brwaack!"

Stunned, the blue-eyed damsel forsook all thoughts of ruffled feathers.

Literally at the end of his rope, Kenshin slammed the brakes.

"I am not part of the football team" he began listing off, eerily calm, "I don't go to games, I do not cheer at the stands and, last time I checked, I did not join Greenpeace." Through the rearview mirror, the eyes of a teed off man met those of a devil in disguise. "Please stop being rude to Kaoru, or I will hand you over to people dumb enough to want to steal a very annoying, high-maintenance bird _and_ suggest that you be de-feathered, all in good fun." Placing his foot back atop the gas pedal, he smirked, his heart brimming with cruel intentions. "Or, better yet, I'll drop you off at the local taxidermist's myself."

Stunned, the blue-eyed damsel squirmed in her seat and, in accordance with what little she knew of Trappistine nuns, opted to discover the joys of silence for the time being.

Significantly assuaged and satisfied, Kenshin took off again at the speed of gods.

Not a peep was heard out of the macaw that had been trained by its uncouth owners to be offensive – it had finally met its match.

"Stephen King wrote _Cujo_," Kaoru spoke at length. "Do you think being in a car with our 'friend' would have inspired him to go with a bird as his protagonist as opposed to a rabid dog?"

The young architect-to-be smiled. "I don't know, but I'm sure it's in a shot of Hitchcock's _Birds_."

"Looser! Brwaack!"

The jeep's human occupants laughed. The jeep's human occupants allowed themselves to relax. Then, the drumming of her hands on the dashboard swiftly became the act of bracing herself for impact as he swerved and the smell of burning rubber reached their nostrils. She should have been scared but, woman-like, her faith in him denied her thoughts of a car accident. As expected, the parrot, though, went berserk.

"Are you okay?" Kenshin inquired, worry in his voice.

"Better than the hell spawn."

"Hold on tight, okay? I promise we'll loose them as soon as we reach the main road and join other frustrated drivers. Six o'clock traffic is a killer."

"I trust you," the young maid spoke softly. His heart lurched and she grew flustered. "With your assessment of traffic, I mean," she amended.

"Of course," he agreed, humoring her for both their sakes.

* * *

§

* * *

With the windows down and soft music wafting from the radio, their silence was an easy one. After deflecting their enemies, the pair on a quest of deliverance – "I can't wait to be free of that evil bird!" quoth the maiden – found themselves in a most peaceful frame of mind. 

"…_gone, long time passing? Where have…"_

Thus, resting her right arm on the windowsill and breathing in the familiar scents of her hometown, Kaoru of the House of Kamiya allowed herself to be soothed into drowsiness by Marlene Dietrich crooning one of her standards.

"…_flowers gone? Young girls picked them…"_

Although sleep was not on the list of things Kenshin of the House of Himura gave thought to while driving that night, he soaked in the atmosphere, appeased. By the soft light of the moon, all things became illuminated in ways that dispersed dark shadows and made cobwebs both visible and beautiful.

"…_time passing? Where have all the young…"_

She yawned. The jeep's tires hummed against the pavement, quietly. The parrot made an odd noise in its cage, but otherwise remained still and slumbering. He smiled.

"…_to young men, every one! When will they…"_

Eyes closed and motionless, she called to him with a soft murmur.

"Kenny?"

It was the first time she used the abbreviated version of the redhead's name sans an iota of mockery in her tone.

"Hmm?"

Stolid, his lavender eyes remained on the road as he patiently awaited furtherance from the young girl snug in the passenger seat. He wasn't long kept in suspense.

"Pull up at the next gas station, okay?"

"Is everything alright?" he inquired.

"Mhmm."

"We're almost there, Kaoru," he informed. "Can't whatever it is wait until after we deliver the bird?"

"Okay," she breathed out.

"…_gone? Gone to soldier every one! When…"_

Seconds passed and, by her silence, it seemed that the damsel had finally dozed off. Scorching balls of light punched holes in the black canvas of night as Kenshin continued to drive them closer to their final destination, Vincent van Gogh's starry imaginings coming to life, as they were forevermore wont to do.

"Kenny?"

"I thought you were asleep."

"Mhmm."

"…_the soldiers gone? Gone to graveyards…"_

"Kenny?"

"Hmm?"

Eyes still closed, she shifted in her seat.

"I have to pee."

Eyes still on the road, tenderness saturated sight, in a manner of speaking.

"I'll pull up at the next gas station."

She smiled sleepily. "Mhmm."

He smiled too. Warmly. "You're welcome."

"…_ever learn? When will they ever…"_

_

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§

_

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"Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Yes."

She could not contain her disappointment. Driving around aimlessly for well over and hour had lead our heroine to expect something completely different from the view glimpsed through the windshield.

"A Walmart? Are you kidding me?" Disbelief won over poise time and again. "After all the action movie stunts we pulled, _this_ is the rendezvous point? Whatever happened to an abandoned warehouse?" she inquired.

Kenshin shrugged. "Our contact works here, part-time. I'm supposed to hand over the cage and then it's his problem."

Kaoru snorted. "One of Sano's jock buddies works here? Why am I _not_ surprised?"

"Don't be like that," he admonished.

"Like what?"

"Prejudiced."

Taken aback, the damsel's blue eyes widened. As if stricken, she brought a hand to her cheek, the skin beneath her tremulous palm hot. Shame and indignation painted her face red.

"Excuse me?" asked Kaoru proudly.

He sighed, knowing he'd displeased her. "It doesn't suit you," explained Kenshin.

"Oh, but it does suit _you_ to blow people off because your ex-girlfriend is back in town," she argued. "After all, that's _real_ polite."

Upturned lips revealed a sardonic half-grin. This was his reward for waiting like a good little boy for the other shoe to drop. Patience was a virtue that required the consumption of Pepto-Bismol and whose known side-effects included paranoia that was, ultimately, not unfounded.

"I was wondering when you were going to bring that up," he stated, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

Crossing her arms over her chest, a self-satisfied grin snuck its way onto her own lips. "All I'm saying is that we all have our faults."

Once more, he heaved another long-suffering sigh. "I'm sorry I stood you up that day, but something came up and I had to go take care of it."

"You're not Clark Kent," she began, glaring at him for all she was worth, "whatever happened that needed your immediate attention didn't have anything to do with you saving the world." Turning her gaze towards the window, she ventured on. "You could have spared a few minutes to call and tell me to drop by some other time."

"I planned on making it up to you," he defended.

Rolling her eyes, the maiden mouthed an incredulous _'Oh-my-God!'_ to no one in particular before turning the tables on him.

"Newsflash Himura: I don't need you to!" she viciously informed him, ungluing her nose from the window and sticking it in his face.

"Well maybe _I_ need to," Kenshin declared, unflinching.

"Feeling guilty?" she inquired, sarcasm dripping like venom from every word.

Looking off to the side, the young man braced himself for impact. "As a matter of fact, yes."

He had basically just put himself on his knees in front of Kaoru and rendered her speechless. None of the witty retorts overloading her mind applied because he wasn't fighting back. Determined to obtain the young maid's forgiveness, the orphaned gentleman had resorted to doing a most dangerous thing: telling the truth.

"You weren't supposed to admit to it so easily..." she groused.

"Why bother putting up a front?"

A bitter laugh bubbled up her throat and out her mouth. "Because you're a guy and that's what guys do?" she reasoned.

Kenshin shook his head and gave her a small smile. "I'm a man, Kaoru, not a teenage boy."

The way he said it made the possibility that he was anything else but a grown man sound utterly preposterous. And the arrogance that accompanied the statement set her heart aflutter.

The maiden settled on paying no heed to sudden shortness of breath, his smugness igniting another wave of angry fire at the pit of her stomach – lust was the second option she dared not consider.

"So?" she inquired in a defiant tone, chin held high.

Arm around seat? Leaning forward? Up close and personal? Practically nose to nose?

Uh oh…

"So… I'm starting to get tired of constantly arguing with you."

Kenshin devoured her with his eyes, wordlessly pleading that they bury the hatchet, that they throw caution to the wind and let whatever had been building up ever since they'd met stand a chance, despite… everything, themselves included.

"Is that a good thing?"

Kaoru had to wet her lips a few times – wet behind the ears as she was – and force herself to keep breathing.

"I don't know," he replied sincerely. "I hope so."

A shiver ran down her spine: partially because she harbored the same hope, partially because it was frightening to know that Kenshin thought along the same lines as she. What a pickle they were in!

She raised an eyebrow. "_Do_ you, now?"

Kenshin understood her reservations. Kenshin understood her hesitation. Kenshin understood the lengths she went to in order to keep her heart from breaking, if indeed what was between them could derive in something meaningful. And it was for that very reason that the redheaded hero refused to succumb to her desires and resume the game. For the sliver of an opportunity, he would speak his mind.

"I'm being honest," he persisted.

"Without really making sense," she reproached him.

He genuinely did not know what to say, so the twosome went still. Sighing, she broke the silence.

"What do you want from me, Kenshin?"

"I…"

Couldn't she tell? Did he even know for himself?

"You find me at the museum and drag me into this college life adventure involving rival football teams and the kidnapping of a team mascot and, yeah, we have a few laughs, but…" She bit down on her bottom lip. More than meaning what she said, she wanted to be able to say what she meant. She wanted to get it right. "I honestly don't understand. You could have just as easily gone off on your own. You didn't really need take me along for the ride, did you?"

It was now her turn to plead with her eyes, though, unlike the story's hero, she did not seek to take unnecessary risks. She bruised far too easily and all she could ask for was a little compassion.

"You're right," he agreed, "but it wouldn't have been half as fun without you."

"Don't you mean stressful?" she supplied, effortlessly skirting round the issue.

A hand cleverly placed beneath her chin forced her to look up – how she hated it when boys did that, thinking they could take control of a situation by grabbing a hold of a reluctant girl's locked jaw!

"Don't you have fun with me?" he asked softly, his eyes boring into hers.

"I fight with you," she… well she wasn't quite sure what she was doing or saying, torn as she was between the urge to laugh at him for feeding her corny lines and melting into a puddle of touched girly-goop that would permanently stain the jeep's leather interior – he would never be able to wash her out.

"And do you enjoy it?"

"Not when it counts as something other than us having nothing better to do than pick on each other."

He searched her face for something that eluded her while she struggled to keep herself whole.

"Someday," he whispered.

"What happens 'someday'?" she asked because she needed to know.

"I'll be as honest as you." He chuckled emptily. "You might not like me much then."

"Who says I like you now?"

His hand slithered from her chin to her cheek. "_Who_ indeed?"

Leaning into his touch, she felt her lips being pulled at the corners, as did his. At last, they were sharing a moment that was candid, unrehearsed and theirs. It was nice. It was perfect in its effortlessness. It was being interrupted by at-first-faint-but-growing-louder-by-the-second tapping on Kenshin's window.

"Hurry up, man! My break's almost over and we can't afford to get caught."

It was hard to see in the dimly lit parking lot, so Sano's teammate placed a hand above his eyes and pressed his face against the glass. Upon noticing a woman sitting in the passenger seat, he surmised that his haste and obliviousness had been cause for some form of intrusion.

"Alright, Himura!" he complimented, making Kenshin groan embarrassedly. "Who's the chick?"

Kaoru found herself touched by the redhead's slight mortification. "Funny," she whispered, "for some reason, I thought he would have said 'wench'."

Tracing his thumb over her cheek, he was reluctant to leave things momentarily unresolved, but duty most unfortunately called and he had no choice except to heed if he ever intended to carry out a conversation with Kaoru minus interludes. Shooting her one last fond look, the college student left nothing save warm tingling on the newly exposed patch of skin as he rolled down the car window and gave the man wearing the store's trademark blue vest his full attention.

Sticking his head through the opening, the blond gave Himura's escort a good look. "She's hot," he concluded.

"Let's just get this over with, Roger," said Kenshin, opening the door and stepping out of the four-wheeler. He wanted the guy's head as far away from Kaoru as possible.

"Fair enough," Roger agreed. "Is she in on it, though?" he asked, pointing at... Was Kaoru actually feeding the psychotic parrot??? Kenshin stuffed his hands in his pockets and rolled his eyes. "She's with me," he clarified.

"Yeah," she perked up, flashing them a smile, "I'm the booty."

Kenshin deadpanned. "Did you just call yourself 'booty'?"

"What?" she muttered, certifying that the macaw didn't hack off her fingers as it ferociously nibbled on a cookie. "It's got a nicer ring to it than 'loot'."

Roger threw an arm over the shorter man's shoulders and laughed. "Himura, I think you've found yourself a winner."

Unmindful of the football player's remark, the dame went about befriending the enemy. Though repeatedly vexed at the insufferable parrot's expense, she supposed that it couldn't be entirely evil and letting it starve to death was, thus, out of the question. After relinquishing it to a group of Sanosukes, who knew when it would see food or water again?

"Kaoru, it's time to say goodbye to the bird," Kenshin gently prodded, eyes fixed on her sooty eyelashes.

"I know," she said, "and I still hate the little creep, but…"

Her hesitation confused the heck out of him. "Kaoru?"

Unexpectedly, she locked gazes with Roger. "Promise to not forget to feed it, even if it gives you hell," she requested.

A quick nod was the symbol of his assent and the opening of the car door a sign that moving on was in their best interests.

"I'll take it from here now, if you don't mind," he said, hoisting the cage out of the backseat. "Hey, buddy! Ever been in a storage room?"

"Fuck off, bitch! Brwaack!"

"What the…?"

As expected, Polly struck back. The maiden giggled, as maidens are wont to do, and her companion gave the new temporary owner of the foulmouthed tropical menace a sympathetic pat on the back. Their job was done and now it was someone else's turn to deal with the wrath of a kidnapped mascot who was quite skilled at making great escapes, the likes of one Harry Houdini. It was time to go home. Together.

* * *

§

* * *

Her cellphone beeped, but she forced herself to pretend that the sound had gone unheard. It was the fifth time she ignored it. Her conscience, hands on its waist, looked down upon her with such superiority that she was beginning to hate it for all she was worth, its petulance refusing to make her feel anything but innocent. 

"Did you call your parents to let them know where we're going?" he asked.

"As soon as we get there," she replied.

Her mom couldn't send text messages because she was technologically challenged on principle alone. Her father couldn't send her text messages because he didn't own a cellphone, a Blackberry or any other such device. Misao wouldn't text her because… something was iffy and their friendship seemed to be on the rocks. Terry wasn't all that into SMSing because she considered it a dehumanized form of communication and couldn't deal with voiceless messages – she wasn't much of an e-mail person either. Kaz couldn't send text messages because someone at school had stolen his MotoQ – what did he even need one of those super fancy "smartphones" for, anyhow? As for Danielle, she hardly even touched her own cellphone.

"Did you even notice your backpack beeping?" he asked.

"Unless it rings, it's not that important," she replied.

But the truth was that she didn't want it to ring; heck she would be thrilled if the occasional little beeps it emitted hadn't happened at all. Also, though not urgent, the messages she had received were, despite unread, to a certain extent, important in their own right. She just knew it.

"Cheater!" her conscience said.

"Misconstruer!" she fired back.

"That's not even a word," remarked her conscience.

"Look it up on the Internet!" she exclaimed.

"Any word that isn't a word is a word when you google it!"

"Aha! I've made you loose your focus!" cheered Kaoru.

"No, you haven't," her conscience disagreed.

"Yes, I have."

"You haven't."

"I have."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, no, no.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"Kaoru is everything alright?" asked Kenshin.

"Huh?" replied Kaoru, unintelligence being one of the side effects to dropping off the face of reality for too long a time.

Guilt was eating away at her but she wasn't doing anything wrong, not technically. Then again, those who rely on technicalities to justify their actions are usually only kidding themselves. Was it that our story's heroine was making a fool of herself? And, if so, would it dash away all hope for a happy ending? Or could it be that Soujiro's heart was to wind up broken?

If that were indeed to be the case, could there, thence, be a happy ending in sight at all? For, all things considered, Kaoru Kamiya might have been confused and in the habit of making wrong decisions for the right reasons, but she by no means wished to cause a kindred spirit any form of pain. The mere thought of it was enough to bring about the breaking of her own heart.

* * *

§

* * *

"…like it when…and it we…wrong with that?" 

"…handcuffed to a bedpost… not compare to…. handcuffed to you…day!"

"…you know my…it lasts longer…romantic enough…"

"TAKE THEM OFF! I DON'T WANT TO BE HANDCUFFED TO YOU ANYMORE!"

"THEY'RE STAYING ON, SO DEAL WITH IT!"

The 'conversation' coming from the other side of the door seemed to be of a very explicit content, parental advisory in the suggestiveness of its nature.

"They've lost the key again, have they?" asked Kaoru, deciding to keep it cool. The last thing she needed was another reason for Kenshin to think of her as a child. The blush staining her cheeks, however, was beyond her control.

"Honestly," he answered, sticking his key in the lock, "I haven't a clue and I'd very much like for things to stay that way."

"Great," she said, wiping the sweat off her brow, "it's a relief to know I'm not the only one."

Once they placed foot inside the apartment, they became caught in the eye of the storm. It was blatantly apparent that, were it up to the pair, they would have backtracked within a second's notice, leaving the arguing couple to their own devices.

"Kenshin!" bellowed Sanosuke, his long strides swiftly shortening the distance between him and his roommate, Megumi hot on his heels. "You wouldn't mind being handcuffed to me for the day, would you?"

"Uh…"

"Of course he would, you big oaf!" Megumi yelled, slapping the quarterback's shoulder with the hand that wasn't attached to his own by a shiny pair of handcuffs. "Tell him, Kenny!"

"Uh..."

"Jesus, woman! Stop trying to get him to side with you!"

"Listen, you illiterate jerk! No one on the face of God's green Earth would find it remotely romantic to be attached to you against their will for a grand total of twenty-four hours!"

"What is it about grand gestures that you don't get, Meg?"

She scoffed at him, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "A trip to Paris is a grand gesture, Sanosuke. This, on the other hand, is torture."

"_This_ is pure romance, baby!" he insisted, pointing at their joined hands. "This right here is a symbol of us staying together no matter what."

The brunet looked so proud of himself that Kaoru decided to take pity on the fool and not ask him what he planned on doing when either of them had to go to the bathroom. So she asked Megumi instead.

"What exactly are you going to do when you can't hold it in, Megumi?"

The sophisticated woman smoothed down the invisible wrinkles on her mauve polo shirt, pretending the teenager hadn't spoken at all. Her boyfriend, however, blanched. It had suddenly come to his attention that he hadn't quite thought things through. Making a u-turn, he marched towards the spiral staircase, his incensed counterpart trailing behind, her 3.5" heels rhythmically clicking against the wooden floor.

"I've never seen anyone get rid of them quite so fast," uttered Kenshin, awe coloring his voice.

Kaoru shrugged. "I'm in high school. Dealing with dimwits on a daily basis occasionally comes in handy."

"They are pretty hopeless," the redhead pointed out. Placing a hand on her lower back, he led her to the large leather couch somewhat near the center of the room. "Still, I feel as if taking pointers from you couldn't hurt."

The teen removed her backpack and set it down on the floor. "I couldn't agree more," she muttered, taking a seat. "It can't be easy to hear them complain about things like bondage all the time."

"Honestly, as long as they never approach me with talk of wanting to spice up their sex life, I can handle it." At her questioning look, he amended, with an "I own an iPod" remark that reminded her just how precious headphones truly are.

"Aren't you going to sit down?" she asked as he walked off in the direction of the kitchen area.

"Actually, I plan on rolling up my sleeves and making pasta. Are you hungry?"

"Are ice caps melting at an alarming rate?"

Kenshin chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes."

The damsel was on the verge of getting up and joining him when the bickering duo made their comeback – sans handcuffs – and plopped down on either side of her, turning her into a human buffer.

"Just for the record, I'm not a couple's therapist," she clarified.

"Personally, I don't think a therapist could melt her heart," Sanosuke said, in reference to his girlfriend's icy attitude.

"Personally, I don't think he has ever used his brain. Then again, who can blame him for it if he doesn't actually have one," said Megumi huffily, crossing her legs at the ankles.

"At least I have feelings!"

"Please stop behaving like a girl, Sanosuke."

"Show some emotion, Cruella!"

"Owning a fur coat does not make me heartless!"

"Tell that to the animal who sacrificed its life so you wouldn't be cold ever again!"

"So long as you have a word with the cow you had for lunch first!"

Kaoru slid off the couch. "Okaaaay," she drawled out, "I'm going to go call my parents now."

Flouncing over to the phone, the maiden surmised that speaking to her parents with Sano and Megumi's racket sounding out in the background would be counterproductive. With that in mind, she quietly slipped off to Kenshin's bedroom and stuck to the facts, praying that her mom would be in a benevolent mood. She couldn't afford to use dinner at the Makimachi's as an excuse because… She wasn't exactly sure, but she wasn't about to fib using anything remotely Misao-centric as a cover-up. The last thing she needed was lying about a boy and having it blow up in her face – her father would never let her see daylight again!

Cordless in hand, she dialed the number, beamed like a lunatic when her mother answered the phone and did her best to come off as mature and unenthused while stating her whereabouts, mentioning that another woman was present, omitting that said woman was dating one of the boys who split the rent, and requesting a speck of female solidarity.

All in all, 'twas a most satisfying outcome that ushered her back to the loft's living area in high spirits. At the sight of the threesome huddled around the stove, her grin grew wider. Their words, however, made her falter and, before she knew it, she was rooted to the spot, trembling and wondering how she could have possibly been so daft.

"Are you going to go to her every time she calls, like a good little puppy?" asked Megumi.

"Babe, stop harassing the man, alright? He's got enough on his plate as is, wouldn't you say? Besides, it's not our problem."

"Are you?" she asked again, ignoring the taller man's opinion, her eyes drilling holes in the back of Kenshin's head.

"It's not that simple," he said, without facing either of his friends.

"She left you, Kenny."

"I know that," he hissed, hands gripping a washcloth tightly.

"See, Meg? He knows." Sanosuke fidgeted a little, uncomfortable in his own skin. "Now bug off."

The lioness looked at Kaoru's gazelle-like shape out the corner of her eye and decided she had no choice. The schoolgirl realized she had been spotted but, for the life of her, could not budge. Megumi closed her eyes and considered backing down, all the while aware that cowardice would be unfruitful. Her hands were tied.

"_I'm sorry, Kenny."_

Reopening determined cinnamon depths, the beautiful woman bit her lip, then spoke, her voice clear as crystal, her words heavy stones falling from the sky.

"Do you plan on going with her to any more prenatal checkups, then?"

As if though the rug had been pulled from under her feet, Kaoru of the House of Kamiya experienced shortness of breath and fear of falling.

**She didn't want to… She couldn't stop herself from… She needed to… She never ever again was going to… All she had wanted was to… She no longer could… And she…she…she…she…she…**

"I have to go," she whispered forlornly.

Three heads whipped around and three sets of eyes landed upon her, like so:

_Gaze # 1:_ With compassion, guilt, silent apologies and helplessness.

_Gaze # 2: _With unwavering calm, understanding and, begrudgingly, remorse.

_Gaze # 3:_ With desperation, foreboding loss and layers of hurt and regret.

"I have to go," she spoke anew, with more vigor and less sorrow. "Mom wants me to come home."

"I'll drop you off," suggested Kenshin, switching to autopilot in a flash.

"That's okay." She adjusted the straps of her backpack. "I don't live that far."

"I'll take you," Sano blurted out.

Kaoru giggled without really meaning to. "No offense, but you drive like a maniac."

"Let me take you home, Kaoru," Kenshin insisted, his shaky hand blindly searching for the keys on the kitchen counter.

She shook her head. "Not this time," she murmured softly.

"My driving isn't _that_ reckless!" Sano intervened, trying to lighten the mood.

Kaoru, with a spring in her step, waltzed over to the door. "Like I said, I'd rather not take any chances."

"Kaoru, wait. What you heard…" the redhead paused, trying to explain the unexplainable, to no avail. "Listen, it's not…" He rammed one of his hands in his hair and pondered how to continue that sentence without doing himself in.

"…Any of my business? I know." Her cheerfulness was scary. "Goodnight, guys!" she exclaimed, waving and purposefully barging out the door.

Stunned, the trio watched her go. Gathering his bearings, Kenshin fought off shock's strong clutches and ran after her. He cursed as he slammed the door shut.

Sano's fist was abruptly introduced to the refrigerator. "We shouldn't have been talking about that shit with her around," he commented. "Now she's _really _got the wrong idea."

Megumi looked down at her perfectly manicured nails and shrugged. "Maybe now they'll learn their lesson and sort themselves out."

"Those two were born confused. I doubt another misunderstanding is going to fix anything."

"You would be surprised…"

The quarterback scowled. "I'm not liking the evil gleam in your eye. What did you do?"

She sighed in exasperation. "Were you _not_ here right now?"

"Yeah, and we were all caught red handed. I swear! She's so mousy no one would ever have heard…"

The man's brown eyes widened, very nearly abandoning the comfort and humidity of their sockets.

"Exactly," she affirmed, swaying her way to the couch. He rushed after her.

"You did _that_?" he asked accusingly.

"No," she denied, picking up a magazine that was laying on the coffee table, "my imaginary friend did."

"That was cold!"

"It was necessary," she corrected.

"It was wrong on too many levels to count!"

"It was right enough," she insisted, flipping page after page of the publication with disinterest. "They needed a little drama in their lives."

"Drama???" Sanosuke was about ready to rip his hair out. "Have you met my roommate? I bought the guy Mary J. Blige's _No more drama_ last Christmas hoping he'd take the hint and lighten up! I didn't even know any of the songs, but the title was too damn fitting!"

"Fine, you win. _She_ needed a little shaking up."

"She has a crush on Mr. Complicated, for crying out loud! Are you trying to make her suicidal?"

"If she's crushing on Mr. Complicated, then she can handle a little misguidance on my part." Scanning the gossip column for something juicy, she gave up when all that was revealed to her was another chapter of Lindsey Lohan's series of unfortunate events. "If you ask me, she's too quick to judge."

"You would be too if you heard the word 'prenatal' get thrown in the mix."

"Stop defending her. _I'm_ your girlfriend, not some schoolgirl innocent to the ways of the world." Megumi clucked her tongue. "Poor Kenny has no taste."

Grunting, the broad shouldered male plunked down beside his girlfriend and quickly got lost in thought. Propping his elbows against his thighs, he brought his hands together and laid his chin over their threaded fingers.

"You're not wearing your reading glasses," he commented offhandedly.

"They're in my other Gucci handbag."

"Why don't you leave a pair here?"

"That's actually not a bad idea."

Sanosuke abandoned his seat, yawned, stretched, scratched his belly and sauntered off, presumably to find something to eat. Five seconds later, however, he returned empty-handed, crouched down before Megumi and gently peeled her fingers off the glossy magazine in her grasp.

"I don't think you're a bad person," he stated, looking her square in the eye.

"That's comforting." She folded her hands in her lap. "There's something on your mind?"

He nodded, cupping her hands between his tanned larger ones. They were about to engage in a conversation that left no room for pleasantries and, while dealing with her anger did not intimidate him, making her feel hurt was not what he desired. All he required from her was the truth and a chance to understand her actions.

"Meg, you always play the part of the evil Mexican soap bitch that ends up in a wheelchair or driving her car off a cliff. Why?"

She smiled humorlessly. "Because the instigator serves a purpose, doesn't she?"

"You tell me," he replied. "Make me understand. I know you have your reasons, but… I'm slow okay?"

"Don't say that." She relinquished one of her hands from his hold, placing it over his mouth. "Parroting isn't a good thing, especially if a witch like me is the blueprint." She leaned forward and brushed her lips against the heel of her hand. "Especially since, no matter what I say, you're a smart and wonderful person."

Removing her hand from his face, a lazy smirk was revealed. But, all too quickly, it morphed into a frown.

"You made things worse, babe," he persisted, eager to get to the bottom of a mystery rivaled only by that of the Mona Lisa's smile.

Megumi took a deep breath, tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear. "Do you think Kenshin has ever had to fight for someone's affections before?" she asked, mindful of her boyfriend's non-verbal response. "I think he doesn't really know how hard it is to gain someone's trust."

"Does the name Tomoe ring any bells?"

"Yes, and that's the problem." Sano's befuddlement was her cue to continue. "They met on the day she was burying her high school sweetheart, her father took to hating him on the spot and yet, a few days later, they were slurping a milkshake together with one straw."

"Somehow, I don't think it was all that rosy or fifties-like."

With a careless wave of her hand, she dismissed his remark. "The man doesn't know comfort and familiarity from love and he has way too much emotional baggage to catch himself falling victim to such misconstructions. I mean, don't get me started on the end of that particular relationship!" Megumi wrinkled her nose. "It was a complete fiasco! She said 'I'm leaving' and he said 'okay'. He grieved like a widower but it never crossed his mind to fight for what he wanted. The worst part is that he still has the audacity to claim that love was in the air when he wouldn't put his money where his mouth is and win Tomoe back."

"He did love her, but it ended! That sort of thing happens all the time," he said, at a loss on how the woman's logic explained her attitude towards Kaoru. "Besides, what does any of this have to do with what _you_ just did?"

"What _I_ did," she explained, "was ensure that your best friend realizes there is no substitute for Tomoe."

The football player grew white as a sheet. "You want to get those two back together???" he squeaked out.

"What I want is for him to see that there is life beyond Tomoe, Sano," she spelled out, "and, that unlike that particular relationship, not all love stories are Shakespearian."

"Translation?"

Megumi rolled her eyes. "By omitting things and creating intrigue all he's doing is sabotaging his future with…that girl. He will be his own Hamlet unless he grows a spine, opens up to someone and cuts the past loose."

Seeing the clouds in Sano's eyes, she heaved a sigh and decided to be blunter.

"I dropped the 'prenatal' bomb so that he would be forced to be honest and realize how keeping things to himself can hurt someone else. If he really likes her he'll feel guilty and as though he owes her an explanation which, technically, he doesn't, because they're not even dating, but since I happen to think that he does like her, I'm sure that he'll feel awful about her wrong assumptions, he'll set her straight, she'll be angry all the same and, hopefully, it will dawn on him that if he had only been upfront about something that didn't mean all that much in the first place, the outcome of a day like today could have been completely different."

"Oh." Sano furrowed his brow, and then shrugged. "Wanna go have sex?"

"Sure."

* * *

§

* * *

The elevator dinged. Its doors slid open. From cloud nine to the seventh circle of hell, the ride down had been awfully short. 

"Please stop following me," she beseeched him.

"Not until you let me explain," he countered.

Making her way through the building's entrance hall, Kaoru restrained herself from bashing his head, her head and anyone else's into the nearest wall. Every step they took distanced them further from their very own fairytale ending.

"I'm going to go out into the street now," the maiden illustrated, standing before the exit to any teenage girl's worst nightmare, "and you aren't coming with me."

"Yes I am," he disagreed holding the door open for her.

Nose in the air, she swung past him. Tail between his legs, he trailed behind. From dreams to disenchantment, reality was swift to set in and set right tenacious minds dumbed down by fleeting fancies.

After walking around for a while in perfect silence, a colorful shop window across the street caught Kaoru's eye. She let her feet carry her in its direction, the sound of Kenshin's footfalls making her gnash her teeth.

Up close, the objects on display revealed themselves to be hats of all shapes and sizes modeled on mannequin heads, several of them eccentric enough for Ascot's standards. She gazed intently at wool fedoras and felt cloches alike, but her traitorous eyes strayed from the items beyond the glass to the reflection on the glass itself, to the semi-transparent figure of a man keeping his distance yet standing far too close for comfort, his hands buried deep within his pockets. Letting out a groan, the schoolgirl gathered that, ever the persistent stalker, he was not about to fold to her former demands, which was a shame really, because he left her no other choice, did he?

"The thing is, Kenshin, there's always going to be something with you, isn't there?"

With her back to him, he couldn't make out her expression, and since window shops aren't exactly mirrors, the surprise her nifty conversational skills caused him wasn't really something she was able to glimpse clearly, though she most definitely could fathom that after giving him the silent treatment, talkativeness on her part would be met with slight astonishment.

"What do you mean?" he asked, feeling a bit touchy because that's pretty much the usual reaction to the truth being voiced aloud.

The rhinestone brooch attached to the scarlet ribbon on one of the hats sparkled like the diamond jewelry piece it was meant to imitate, but Kaoru could not be fooled. She knew what the most valuable of precious stones ought to look like and that center stone was certainly not it. She smiled a pained smile, one that he missed because she still refused to face him.

"It doesn't really matter," she said, wishing she could run away, "because I have to respect the way you lead your life." She sighed. "Listening and accepting constant excuses, though, sounds like a pretty bad habit in the making."

"I didn't plan on standing you up and, in any case, I left Sano in charge. I just…" Kenshin stopped himself before he made a bigger mess of things. Also, he was getting tired of talking to the back of her neck, so, setting both hands on her shoulders, he spun her around. "Was what I did so terrible?"

Swallowing thickly, she slowly shook her head, feeling defeated. "Everything is just too complicated for me." Her eyes met his, bitterness and fondness laced in her penetrating stare. "I'm only a schoolgirl, remember? Maybe you've been right all along."

"About what?" he inquired, one hundred percent confident in the fact that he had never felt so utterly clueless in his entire life.

"I know the way you see me," she blurted out miserably, determination and embarrassment waging a war inside her. "I know that, to you, I'm just a stupid kid!"

"Kaoru," he said, frantically waving his hands in denial, "that's not it at all!"

She pursed her lips together, curbing the urge to call him a big fat liar and, also, to cling onto a pesky strand of hope swinging in front of her nose and believe in his words. Taking a leap of faith didn't sound very prudent, which, come to think of it, meant very little to someone of such an emotionally impulsive nature. This was precisely why she needed to sit tight and – for the love of God! – have some dignity. Restraint was in order.

"Look, it's okay," she soothingly declared. "I hate to admit it, but what if you have a point? What if your life _is_ too much for me to handle? I mean, there has to be a reason as to why you are so guarded."

As she voiced his worst fears, horror was something he began struggling with. In all honesty, the last thing Kenshin of the House of Himura could possibly desire was for the maid standing in front of him to give up and let him be right.

It wasn't that he viewed her as an impertinent child, but he did assume that, like the rest of the world, once she was in the know, she would not be able to handle the truth – he wouldn't blame her if she ran for the hills and never looked back. However, time and again, he had shoved her aside and she had pushed back.

Loath to admit it, as he was, that kind of interaction had allowed him to hope – a verb and noun he wasn't well acquainted with. His interest in her had increased when he found himself, at the oddest of times, considering that perhaps, despite everything, she would stay and make him feel as though he wasn't such a horrible person. On those rare instances her age and her lack of experience were surprisingly far from his mind. Unless he got around to telling her that, though, it was most likely that she would continue to mistake her wrong assumptions for his actual thoughts on the matter and walk away.

"Kaoru, I –"

"Your ex-girlfriend's pregnant," she interrupted.

"And I'm not the father!" He wasn't the type to be easily angered, but her attitude was putting his patience to the test. "I thought I had already made that more than clear back in the elevator."

"What difference does it make? Kenshin, you're going to prenatal checkups with her, for crying out loud! That has to mean _something_."

"We're friends," he snapped.

Kaoru chuckled humorlessly. "That's sweet, and I'm sure that tons of other girls are confident enough to handle that gracefully." She shrugged. "I'm just not one of them."

"You're not…"

The detached manner in which he said it, as if the only way for him to comprehend that she wasn't comfortable with the situation – she never would be – was if the words rolled off his own tongue, made her wince. For a second, she thought she caught a hint of regret in his lavender eyes, but she quickly dismissed the very thought. He didn't feel sorry and he didn't have to either. Oddly enough, though, she felt a tad remorseful herself, as if by brining her anxieties to light she was destroying everything.

"Maybe if the circumstances were different," she pleadingly explained.

"She doesn't have anyone," he insisted.

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "She has her family," she countered, amazed at how tightly Tomoe had him wrapped around her finger.

"I…" He grasped at straws and, for the teen, they were the very same ones that broke the camel's back. "They aren't all that supportive."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she confessed. "It's a good thing she has you then, isn't it?"

"… I guess."

Pivoting on her heel, she went back to staring at the objects beyond the shop window, wishing they had the capability of making it all better. Sadly, she had hung her hat on aspirations that were not to be and all the caps and bonnets in the world would never be able to change that.

Nonetheless, as her eyes roved everywhere except behind her, she waited. For him to say anything at all. Anything would do, would give her hope. But he remained silent and she got angry. Then the stillness translated his pity to her and she desperately tried to warm up to it before realizing it was insane to keep on doing that. To keep on dreaming, like some sort of fool.

"I'll be on my way now," she announced, head hung low.

Kenshin knew what she was doing – she had done the ultimatum thing once before. "Let me drive you home," he persisted.

She shook her head. "You've done enough driving for the day." She took a deep breath and turned her back on the shopfront, a soft smile on her lips. Her hair shone blue, inky strands awash in the yellow light emitted by the store standing tall behind them. "Besides, it's nice out tonight." She giggled. "The streets beckon my wandering feet."

"Then let me walk with you," he requested.

"I would rather be on my own."

Standing there in her jeans and teal shirt, she looked small and beautiful. Kaoru looked as vulnerable as he wanted to allow himself to be. Mirroring the sky above their heads, her dark eyes sparkled with the sheen of stars and determination that, at any other time, he would have admired. If only she weren't giving up on him, when minutes ago she had been gazing at him as if he were someone he wasn't, someone better.

"It doesn't have to be complicated," he bargained, a whisper on the wind that was far from being an 'I'm sorry'.

Silence hung thick in the air between them.

Silence hung thick in the space between them.

In the small pause betwixt every heartbeat, silence reigned.

I loved you first, I loved you second, I loved you third.

I wouldn't know love from picnics and a handbasket.

Everything's gone to hell in a handbasket.

§

Silence isn't a lack of apologies.

But it isn't flat out saying you're sorry either.

I don't know how, I don't want to, there's no reason to.

But it's the only way to save a sinking ship.

I don't have it in me, it's not enough.

I am sorry, though.

The maiden scuffed one of her red high top All Stars against the pavement. "I don't think I came into your life at the best of times."

The young man fiddled with his fingers. "Is there such a thing as perfect timing?"

"Who knows?" She relaxed her shoulders and sidestepped him. "Maybe there is, maybe I'm wrong. I'll see you around, okay?"

As she tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear, he knew theirs was borrowed time. He should have probably taken advantage of the lapse between that small gesture and her parting to say something to stop her in her tracks and…

They liked each other, that much was obvious. The rest wasn't supposed to matter. The rest was giving them hell. And he could have been brave and he could have been the bigger person and he could have dashed it all away by grabbing hold of her wrist and he could have tried explaining why he was emotionally stunted and he should have...

She walked away and his eyes inevitably trailed after her.

One may be sure that Kaoru of the House of Kamiya and Kenshin of the House of Himura did not live together in peace and happiness to the end of their days.

Not after saying goodbye without actually saying the words aloud.

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_Reviewer Responses:_

**To Vic'chonn: **Yeah, at first the last installment was going to be a regular new chapter, but working on my thesis – I feel your pain! – made me damn near lose my marbles completely and the intermezzo came instead, anger, angst, confusion, resignation and all. I wasn't particularly going for "funny" when I wrote it but… sometimes I'm too sarcastic for my own good and cynicism carries a dose of comedic genius in its blasé-like packaging that simply can't be denied. As for trying out new writing techniques, I think I did my fair share of that in this chapter. In this case, I knew it was going to be lengthy and slightly melodramatic and I know for a fact that several people have expressed their displeasure regarding the plot's snail-like advancement, so I decided to say "screw it", have fun writing and to hell with the consequences. I hope it paid off – from a personal standpoint, it did, but I'm the writer not the reader and I wouldn't post any of this stuff if I didn't think your opinion counts. So, please review, share some thoughts and keep me updated on all things Vic-related, deal? By the way, thank you for mentioning the typo – I constantly revise the story because I want to make it into an original work of fiction, but I keep missing tiny things here and there so keep an eye out for me, please. Cuídate mucho, vale? Besitos y hasta pronto – seguro que nos comunicamos por e-mail antes del próximo capítulo.

**To toxiclollipop: **Actually, last installment was a preview of the turning point that is this whole chapter – at the very least, the final part of it. I'm glad you liked it because, to be perfectly honest, I didn't think it would take. Thanks for reviewing!

**To Animekitty07: **First off, I have to say that I am really pleased by your comment on the song selection; I work my butt off picking the soundtrack for every scene and no one ever pays attention to it! Thank you so much! If you liked the music, check out Regina Spektor's work – some of her stuff is kind of funky, but she redeems herself with songs like "Samson". As for the previous installment, I was afraid that it would prove to be boring or confusing, so let me tell you that I felt incredibly relieved after receiving your stamp of approval. I hope this chappie was also to your liking, despite its length. Catch you next time!

**To MikaylaMae: **I really did give it a whole lot of thought, now that you mention it. I don't know how well that translates when coupled this chapter, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Tell me what you think, okay? Thanks for dropping a line!

**To en route: **I don't know how it's possible that you never ever seem to abandon me, but I always feel so happy when I see your penname on the reviewers' block. And I make you wait so long for updates too! The dubbed "long-awaited-serious-discussion-between-Kaoru-and-Kenshin" came and went… Was it what you expected it to be? In my defense, I tried, but I honestly can't see them talking straight and/or pouring their hearts out to one another – not yet, anyway. And yes, last installment was actually a short piece of foreshadowing. I knew this chapter was going to be long, without adding to that their conversation and the jumbled mess of thoughts and emotions mixed between words that always come short, so I decided to sort of draw a line between heart, mind and action. Did I do okay? I appreciate your criticism and thank you wholeheartedly for all the compliments. It feels amazing to hear that my writing manages to move you. The reactions it evokes in you are the very reasons I write to begin with. Until next time.

**To Venus Smurf: **YOU'RE BACK! YOU'RE BACK! YOU'RE BACK! YOU'RE BACK! YOU'RE BACK! YOU'RE BACK! YOU'RE BACK! YOU'RE BACK! Can you tell you've been missed? Your review was short and I'm only calling you on it because of your past track record. I'm so happy to hear from you, know that you're alive and – seemingly – well and reading my stuff again. Glad to have you back on board, V!

**To angel-tears-16: **Thank you so much for calling the last installment of this story a piece of art: it was very kind of you to do so. True to my word, the Ken-Kao-Polly fun was finally unveiled. Will those crazy kids ever learn?

**To Rampaging Sorrow: **...On a shirt? Sure, why not – as long as credit is given where credit is due. My friends and I want to have "born a freak" t-shirts made, so I can relate. Thank you for considering my work different and fresh. I hope you've kept on reading and have reached this far – perhaps I've bored you to death and lead you to give up on this particular reading? Take care.

**To Safe Matches: **Carrie, darling, I couldn't update sooner even if I wanted to, and that I did. Too much going on to risk it, but patience is a virtue – I have to keep reminding myself of that, seeing as I work in an office full of men – and at last a new chapter had been upload. Thank you for your constant reviews. May this installment have also been to your liking.

**To Mala Valvah: **Sorry, but I'm slow on the whole update front. The good news is that I don't plan on quitting on this story anytime soon and I already have a vague idea on how I want to handle the next chapter. Don't forget to review!

**To lauralizzie07: **Don't worry, sometimes I feel as if I've forgotten the entire story too, and _I'm_ the author! It's good to hear from you again – I had begun to wonder where you had run off to, you know. As far as shameless flattery goes, I was actually in dire need of it and, just between us girls, I'll have you know that your review was one of the reasons this chapter even exists: it wasn't easy to write, it was time consuming, I was feeling slightly discouraged… and then along came you. Your kind words changed everything. Thank you for that. I "hear" you've turned a new leaf: I wish you nothing but the best. Happy New Year, artist-formerly-known-as-**Rhapsody07**!

**To Ri-nee-chan: **Alright, so you didn't review last chapter. But, we do have a pretty awesome relationship both as friends and in the author/critic scheme of things. Besides, when you do review, you make my day and are incredibly detailed which does nothing but help my writing. So, I plead the fifth and respond to a review that doesn't exist because you're excused – you were busy adjusting to life in freaking Japan, I mean, come on! – and also because I owe you far too much to not leave you a little note at the bottom of every single chapter of this story, whether you review or not. Thank you for being so uniquely you!!!

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**Congratulations to the winners of the RKRC 2005 awards and thank you for both nominating and voting for me.**

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